Valentine’s Day Update!

That’s right. I spent my morning enjoying this. And it was GLORIOUS.

So, here we are about a month and a half later from my first update and I have very little to show for it. I’ve been slacking pretty hard on blog posts and for that, I apologize. I’ve been dealing with some bad writer’s block, being sick, and having a pretty crazy schedule. I’ve also begun the difficult (but fun) task of house-hunting. With that said, I’d like to try and get back to the old schedule of posting at least two posts a week.

Expect a new Inspiration Through Music post tomorrow and a new Cooking Adventure this week. I’ll hopefully be able to keep up with my posting schedule from this point on.

I’ve been trying to work on my latest incarnation of “The Wild Dark”. This will be the 7th or 8th time that I’ve started it over (yes, I’ve lost count). I’m also looking forward to finishing up “The Collection”, a short story from my latest book “Memento Mori: Book 3 of the Monstrum Chronicles”.

Oh, and “Night Time, Dotted Line”, my indie travel comedy is FREE today on Amazon Kindle. So go snag it while you can!

That is all. Return to your daily duties!

~KSilva

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What the World Needs Now is Cake, Sweet Cake…

COOKING ADVENTURE – Valentine’s Day Edition

Mr. Burt Bacharach said it best: “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” And that was my intention last week on Valentine’s Day when I made a pink-frosted chocolate cake for a good friend and co-worker of mine (as it happened to be his birthday the same day). It seems as though this week, I’ve seen several examples of bullying, hatred in the media, and an all around depression because of our never-ending winter here in New England. And then, there is that little bit of depression that the single people of the world (including myself) often get on Valentine’s Day. In short, last weekend, everyone was desperate for sunshine, for laughter, for smiles, and for friends.

It can be hard to look past the desire for companionship when you feel lonely in order to realize that there are people in your life who matter, who you care about and who care about you. Basically, without descending too deeply into preaching, look at what you have today, the good and the bad and appreciate it for what it is.

Today, I’m telling you to make a cake. Make it for someone you care about, make it for someone who might need it, make it for yourself if you are feeling low and need just a little break. Make that cake and enjoy the act of making it. Put on your favorite song and rock out in the kitchen. Because…being happy is what matters. And if you’re making cake, how can you not feel good?

~KSilva

The Garden Steak

COOKING ADVENTURE 58: Three-Herb Steak

Here’s my idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day: waking up to a bold, rich cup of coffee and a deliciously sweet breakfast of French Toast, spending the day doing something I love (such as writing), having some time to really rest, listening to some music that gets me in the groove to do whatever it is I need getting done, spending time talking to someone you care about and telling someone (whether it is your mother, father, sibling, close friend, or significant other that you really adore and appreciate them, and hearing them say it back to you), and lastly, polishing off the evening with a scrumptious dinner, sinfully sweet dessert, and a movie that makes you feel all warm and tingly inside. Oh, and sure, a kiss wouldn’t hurt. Alas, a few of these things happened but not all. I had planned to make a three-herb steak recipe that I’d found last week as a way to unwind from my work day. I dressed up in a red dress that I bought a couple years ago that I haven’t found an occasion to wear it for yet, and checked the website to see the ingredients list. I had one herb out of the three that I needed. And I was not going to go back out to the store and get them. In short, I spent the evening cooking a rather boring meal of green beans, peas, and kielbasa, enjoyed a giant mug of hot cocoa for dessert, and after talking with a friend for a while, spent the rest of the evening reading a book in which I criticized every other sentence.  Yup. You couldn’t touch the romance of that night with a ten foot pole if you wanted to.

Orange You Glad Matilda’s Back?

COOKING ADVENTURE #57: Orange Pecan French Toast Casserole

Nothing irritates me more than using a lame orange joke to open up a Cooking Adventure. But honestly, this is one of those few miracle times where nothing terrible happened during the adventure. It was a rare moment of complete euphoria, the delightful mixing and pouring, slicing, and baking that makes up this gorgeous French Toast recipe. Even when Matilda stepped up to bat to take on grating an orange, there was not one speck of treachery nestled behind her beady black eyes. I’m pleasantly surprised. And since this recipe made so much, it would be a fabulous gift to a loved one on Valentine’s Day! Mmm, yummy orange-flavored love. You know you’re excited.