A Message From Sherrie

Happy New Year!  That's my two dogs above, begging for attention as I write this.  I hope 2010 brings you your heart's desire, and that the next decade brings you miracles and happiness. 

FORTY YEARS OF ROMANCE

I've been a romance reader for over 40 years, and like many of you I started out with the greats:  Georgette Heyer, Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, Phyllis A. Whitney, and many others.  As the face of romance changed over the years, so did my reading. In time, I discovered the Wenches' books and devoured them like a shipwrecked sailor with a newfound cache of buried rum.  Never in a million years did I expect to be on a first-name basis with the biggies of romance, let alone work for them.  Managing the Word Wenches blog site is just a small part of what I do for the Wenches.  There's a lot of behind-the-scenes work to keep the blog machine running smoothly.  Yet every day I have to pinch myself just to make sure I'm not dreaming.  I love my job.

I've made many wonderful friends through this blog—both Wenches and blog visitors.  I’ve been exposed to new (to me) authors because of the guests we've interviewed.  I consider this one of the best places to go for just about anything, be it writing advice, research tidbits, book recommendations, history . . . you name it. 

THE GRATITUDE PROJECT

In August of 2009 I bought a notebook and promised myself that each day I would write down at least three things I’m grateful for.  The Word Wenches are listed on page 1.  I’d like to expand that to include the commenters who visit this site regularly.  All of you have enriched my life in more ways than you can ever know.  Thank you!

WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR?

What are you grateful for this holiday season?  Is there a person in your past who had a positive influence on your life?  Have you come through a recent crisis unscathed?  Or is it something on a less profound (but no less important) level, such as the companionship of a pet or a really comfortable pair of shoes?  How about a surprise that made you smile?  That happened to me last June when I was slicing a green pepper.  I looked at that first slice and burst into laughter, for it looked just like da Vinci's Vitruvian Man (see pictures) What about you--what are you grateful for?  Please feel free to share.  (In the meantime, some of you asked for my Hot Fudge Pudding Cake recipe, and I'll put that in comments, to keep this post from getting unwieldy.) 

  

Comments

[Sherrie Holmes]

As promised, here is that recipe for Hot Fudge Pudding Cake. This recipe is over 70 years old, and is incredibly rich. It's best served hot from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. To die for.

HOT FUDGE PUDDING CAKE

1 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa
1/2 c milk
2 Tbs melted shortning or butter
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa
1 3/4 cups hot water

Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Stir in milk & melted shortning. Spread in square 9x9 pan. Sprinkle with mixture of brown sugar & 1/4 cup cocoa. Pour hot water over entire batter. Bake 45 mins in 350 oven. During baking, cake rises to top and fudge sauce settles to bottom. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

[Sherrie Holmes]

P.S. If any of you have recipes to share, bring them on! I collect recipes. *g*

[Judith Laik]

Thanks for starting this thread, Sherrie. I'm grateful for loyal, generous, and truthful friends, even when I'm not happy with the truths they tell me! Grateful for 50 years with my wonderful husband; grateful for children--and grandchildren--I'm proud of. Grateful for all the beauty in this world. And your recipe looks yummy. Too bad I just started a diet!

[Sherrie Holmes]

Judy, congratulations on 50 years of marriage! That is truly something to be grateful for.

And friends--loyal, generous, and truthful, yes--and they love you anyway, warts and all. I find that the older I get, the more I treasure my friends.

[Keira Soleore]

Thank you, Sherrie, for inspiring me to cook regularly with your food tweets and food blogging. Thanks to you, my family had a tasty 2009.

Your Vitrivian Man in Green Pepper is hilarious!

[Linda Banche]

I love that pepper slice. Glad you got a picture.

[Liz Brooks]

Sherrie, thank you so much for that recipe, I am definitely going to give it a whirl!
As far as what I am thankful for, this may sound odd, but I am thankful I lost my advertising job in October. I have a supportive husband and he is letting me pursue my real dream, which is food writing. Things are going very well for me, and losing my job may be one of the best things that could have happened. I had no idea how unhappy I was there!

[Sherrie Holmes]

Keira, I'm a foodie like you, and enjoy sharing my recipes. I'm glad your family has enjoyed some of my creations. BTW, I just discovered a yeast herb dinner roll that I made last week which I think you'd like. It's delicious!

Linda, I just had to take that picture of the green pepper when I saw it. That little round knob looked so much like a head atop those spread "arms" and "legs." The picture makes me laugh every time I look at it.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Liz, I was in exactly the same situation as you 4 years ago. I'd worked for the company for 37 years when they went through bankruptcy and laid off everyone. It opened the door for me to start my own business, and now here I am working with some of the greatest writers in romance!

I wish you all the best in your new endeavor as a food writer. I've bookmarked your blog and will visit often! I'm always on the lookout for new recipes.

[theo]

I'm grateful for a husband who, after 30+ years, still loves me. Go figure ;) and for two daughters who are healthy and for the most part, happy.

To my dogs who, even on my most incredibly crabby day, will still come and lay their head in my lap with their unconditional love written all over their little faces.

I'm grateful to whoever it was that opened the world of books to me. I don't remember who you are, but thank you. Reading is my constant companion.

I'm grateful to everyone here. It's a place I can always come if I need something uplifting.

Too many more, I could take the entire comments section :-P

And thanks for the recipe! I'll have to try it this week.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Hi, Theo! *waving* Thirty years! Another long marriage. I think romance readers/writers are in on the secret.

Dogs are the epitome of unconditional love. I am so grateful for my two girly-girls. Nova and Asterisk are devoted to me and cheer me up when I'm down. (Though I do wish they didn't feel it necessary to always follow me into the bathroom and then crowd around the toilet in friendly comradeship.) *g*

[Andrea Penrose]

Sherrie, I love both the Da Vinci Pepper and the recipe—and I love your quirky sense of humor and your cheery sense of optimism and love of life. You make all us wench laugh so much during the year, and for that I am very grateful!

[Clare, in Cork, Ireland.]

Hey Sherrie, only you could find that in a pepper! @)Happy New Year to you and all The Wenches.

[theo]

Oh, Sherrie, let me guess, your Dobie is the one who started the bathroom thing, yes? I have a small commode area in my bathroom and I have both of my Dobes doing the same thing. They stand in front of me and rest their chins on my knees. Very odd to have them...there. lol!

[Jane Irish Nelson]

Sherrie, that is one of my absolutely favorite desserts. I, too, have enjoyed "meeting" both the Wenches and their guests and discovering new authors along the way, so one of the things I'm thankful for is the computer age that has brought us all together in this amazing way.

[maryjoputney]

Sherrie--

I'm grateful for your boundless good cheer as well as your efficiency in keeping our wenchly wheels turning. Your delight in life--and the ability to see the great Leonardo in a humble green pepper *g*--are a gift to all of us.

And that fudge pudding cake looks FABULOUS!

Mary Jo

[Sherrie Holmes]

--Hi, Cara/Andrea. I'm glad *someone* appreciates my (how did you phrase it?) QUIRKY sense of humor! LOL! Actually, the Wenches have been really good to me and I truly love this job. That is another thing I'm grateful for: wonderful clients!

--Clare, when I cut into that pepper, the Vitruvian man was there in all his glory. Just be glad I didn't include a picture of some very obscene carrots from my garden!

[Sherrie Holmes]

--Theo, yes, Nova my Dobie started it! What's worse, she got Asterisk to join her. And of course the cats can't be left out, so I often have 4 furry animals who feel it is their God-given duty to escort me to and from the bathroom. It gets really crowded in there sometimes. *g*

--Jane, I'm with you. Hot fudge pudding cake, warm from the oven and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, is my definition of nirvana. And like you, I am so grateful for computers, not only because I've made many Internet friends, but when I was laid off 4 years ago, the Internet and my computer were instrumental in the formation of my business.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Hi, Mary Jo. Working for the Word Wenches has been a blessing. I've gained so much from the experience, not the least of which is a lesson in the true meaning of graciousness from your own example. I wish the world contained more people like you.

[Anne Gracie]

Sherrie, lovely post. I'm grateful for so many things in my life but here, I'll take the opportunity to say one of those many things is the cheery way you juggle different wenchly needs, always upbeat and giving us little treats of fabulous photos and funny stories along the way. You're a joy to work with.

As for your hot fudge pudding, it's very much what Aussies know as chocolate self-saucing pudding, a family favorite, easy and delicious.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Anne, I'm going to start blubbering in a minute! Thank you for your kind words. Working with the Wenches is such an experience--7 very distinct and very different personalities, yet a cohesive and supportive whole. Romance writers "get it."

Fascinating that this seemingly lowly hot fudge pudding cake recipe is known the world over! I love it, but only make it once or twice a year, for holidays, because it's so rich. I feel my hips expanding just thinking about it.

[Patricia Barraclough]

Love the pepper ring picture.
Thanks for the cake recipe. My daughters will love it.
I'm thankful for my husband and still mystified that he puts up with me. I have wonderful children and grandchildren. I love my job at a small county library. I'm surrounded by books all day at work and at home. The main thing I'm lacking is enough time to read.

[Patricia Barraclough]

Sherrie,
Hit enter by mistake. Congratulations on a job well done with the Word Wenches.
Love the picture of the dogs. How can you resist them? I wish ours would just stare. The youngest either pokes me with her nose & whines or chases her tail under the desk while I try to type. The other 3 just bark to go out or come back in. Luckily they adore my husband and spend more time pestering him.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Patricia, I'd think working in a library would be a dream job for a book lover.

I've noticed that a large number of romance readers have been in long marriages. I'd say that reading a romance is good for marriage, no? *g*

My Boxer still chases her tail. It's hilarious to see her *almost* catch it.

[Nicola Cornick]

Sherrie, what a lovely post! It made me feel all warm and happy inside. As this year begins I have lots of things to be thankful for, not least being part of the Wenches and the wider romance community. I'm also thrilled that my dog Monty is a part of my life and I'm also very grateful to have been married 22 years to a wonderful husband who is also a great cook. I've passed the recipe on to him!

[Sherrie Holmes]

Nicola, I can't imagine life without my dogs. And my cats. And my horses. Animals enrich my life daily, and provide constant entertainment and amusement. Many's the time I've gone into a laughing fit over something the dogs or cats have done. I know Monty is your frequent walking partner, and I can think of no better companion. (Unless it's a husband you've been married to for 22 years!) *g*

[Maggie Robinson/Margaret Rowe]

I'm grateful you started a gratitude post!*g* It suits perfectly, as I'm going back to work in the high school library today after a two-week vacation, and I have been grumbling ever since I woke up. Sherrie, your post is an excellent reminder to me be be happy I woke up at all!

I'm grateful for so many things, but most of all my family who've alternately encouraged me and left me alone as I've begun the writing journey. I'm grateful 2010 is finally here...can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

Sherrie, as I type this, I have unsweeted hot tea and a glass of Slim-fast at my elbow (new year, new diet). I will admire the pudding cake from afar, LOL.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Oh, Maggie, I had to smile reading your comment. So many times I've looked upon an upcoming task with disfavor, such as going back to work after a nice holiday. But just as often, a word from a friend, a comment on the radio, or even a conversation overheard in the grocery store line, will remind me that it's all in the attitude.

Years ago I went through a rough time. A person at work told me I looked like I was having problems. It was a wake-up call. I didn't want to go around gloomy-faced and making other people feel gloomy. That co-worker's comment inspired a major (and permanent) attitude change in me. I started putting a fake smile on my face, and when someone would ask me how I was doing, I'd say, "Outstanding!" with enthusiasm. Pretty soon, it wasn't fake anymore. The old saying, "fake it till you make it," is so true for me. My gloomy circumstance hadn't changed, but my way of dealing with it did, and oddly enough things just seemed to get better.

Like you, I'm looking forward to 2010, and like you, I can't wait to see how it unfolds!

Happy New Year, everyone!

[Virginia C]

Well, first of all, thanks for the wonderful recipe. Made with brown sugar, too : )

I lost my job in early November 2009, and I have had a very tough couple of months with no income, health insurance or unemployment benefits. I am most grateful for the 4 Corners of my world: Faith, Family, Friends & Felines.

Here's a good, simple recipe the whole family will enjoy:

Recipe: Easy Apple-Berry Crisp
BY: Virginia C

Ingredients:
1 can apple pie filling
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce (or 1 can cherry pie filling)
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups dry oatmeal

Preparation/Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10" x 13" baking pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine fruit. In a separate bowl, mix together butter, sugar and oatmeal (mixture will be crumbly). Spread fruit mixture evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle oatmeal topping evenly over fruit. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly brown and crisp (do not over bake). Serve warm or cold. If desired, top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

[Sherrie Holmes]

{{{hugs}}} Virginia. I'm so sorry about your job. You must be in a very scary place right now. Thank goodness for your 4 corners--Faith, Family, Friends, and Felines. I love that. I hope things pick up for you now that the New Year is here. In the meantime, lean heavily on your 4 corners.

Thank you for the apple-berry crisp recipe! I love cranberries and have never made a crisp using them. I have a can of whole cranberries and some Granny Smith apples in lieu of apple pie filling (I find the canned pie filling too sweet for my tastes). This sounds like a great recipe, and I love berry crisps. Thank you for sharing.

Stay warm and healthy, Virginia. More {{{hugs}}}

[Lyn S]

I am thankful for chocolate and romance novels. It is how I stay sane. :). We have a thankful book that we pass around at the Thanksgiving dinner table. It is lovely to look over 20 years of entries. I think I may start your daily version. Mrs. Kirk of the www.kirkcollection.com made her employees write at least one thank you note a day. Her reply to complaints was that if you couldn't find one person to thank every day you weren't paying attention. I plan to try to be much more thankful and graceful (not the klutz version, but soul version) this year. Thank you all who help me keep my outlook upbeat.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Lyn S I love your idea of a Thankful Book passed around at the Thanksgiving dinner table! Your family has been doing that for 20 years? That's awesome!

Author Susan Wiggs gave me the idea for the Gratitude Book. When I first started, it was easy coming up with 3 things to be grateful for each day. Later, it became harder, but I always mananged to come up with 3. It helps me keep my priorities straight. *g*

[NinaP]

Happy New Year, Sherrie! I am thankful for you, oh great editor who told me that if I didn't write my story you'd tell the Muse to never send me another. And, he hasn't (not a full blown one anyway) because you're right. So, here's to a year of finishing things started and starting things that never need end. Hugs, Nina

[Jacquie Rogers]

Nova and Asterisk are adorable, but then you know that. :)

I'm grateful that my kitchen isn't flooded (my dh installed an instant hot water dispenser yesterday), that we have indoor plumbing (people forget what a blessing that is!), and that my life is filled with wonderful friends and family.

And I'm grateful for you. I guess it was inevitable that two nutcases would become fast friends. LOL.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Nina, you are a prime example of what I said earlier--I love my job. I have the very best clients in the world, and many of those clients have become fast friends. That includes you.

I learn from my clients, too, so it's not a one-way street. You are such a wonderfully unique person, Nina, and it has been a joy to watch your writing take off and soar.

I have the Word Wenches to thank for your friendship. I "met" you through the comments section of this blog, and the rest, as they say, is history.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Jacquie, you think we're nut cases??? I'm shocked, SHOCKED!

Glad to hear your kitchen survived the installation. Sounds like your marriage also survived. *g*

Amen on indoor plumbing! I am old enough to remember weekends spent with my godparents at their vacation cabin, which had an outhouse. The worst part, for me, was putting my bottom over a round hole suspended over who-knew-what. There could have been monsters down there, ready to grab me. I far preferred a bush in the woods. Much less scary.

[NinaP]

Thank you, Sherrie And you can blame Mary Jo, too. She's the one who started you and me.

[Sherrie Holmes]

LOL, Nina. Let's blame Mary Jo. But indeed, she referred you to me, didn't she? Mary Jo has sent me several customers, for which I am truly grateful. I've never advertised--it's all word of mouth, so that's something else I'm grateful for.