Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Vanilla, Schmanilla!
All hail the many nuances of vanilla. Not only is it the favorite ice cream flavor - 29% say so and no other flavor gets that close - many, many years running, but it is the virtual queen of baking just about anything. And the base of so, so many marvelous flavors. To paraphrase wiki, it enhances the flavors of other substances. It is complementary.
According to Tolonac myth, a princess fell in love with a mortal, was denied permission to marry so they ran off together. Well, they were caught and beheaded…but where their blood fell the vine of the tropical vanilla orchid grew. Isn’t that romantic? (Save for the beheading part.)
It is the most expensive spice, after saffron, because of the man-power involved. (That sounds nice if you don’t think too hard about it. Man-power…mmmmm!) Vanilla is also considered an aphrodisiac.
Everyone has a favorite bit of vanilla. Some like French vanilla, some like soft serve, some like to just inhale the pure essence. It’s been a perfume, as well as a flavor of ice cream. (Obvious which incarnation I am fond of.)
What doest his have to do with writing? Well, I think vanilla writing is all in the perspective. Not everyone will write with streaks of reddish cherry swirl and massive chunks of sinful caramel and chocolate. But one who does would likely call something vanilla that another writer would view as total scandal.
One person’s vanilla is another person’s total occasion for sin.
Just like in one part of the country the lines between erotica and smut are very close and in others, they are miles apart. It’s all in the definitions, but also in the experience. And in what one likes.
If one likes vanilla…and who doesn’t? So easy to dress up with a ribbon of fudge, some whipped cream and a few toasted nuts… Maybe some caramel or banana chunks… M&Ms or Captain Crunch… (Been to a yogurt shop lately to see some of the toppings they offer? Gummi bears? Really?)
*shakes head, must rise above threatening sugar coma…
July is national ice cream month, in case no one knew.
So, not all books offer up the blood guts and gore of Stephen King or Dean Koontz. Or the sexual twister of Laurell K. Hamilton. Or the convoluted plot paths of Dan Brown. Not all characters are multi-dimensional entities that can walk between the worlds of time and space.
Conflict isn’t always about life and death and saving the world, thwarting the assassin (or being the assassin), surviving the apocalypse or defeating the biggest bad ever.
Sometimes, it’s just about falling in love. Keeping a job. Raising a child. Buying the bodacious pair of shoes the character saw in an advert! So many things that seemingly are unimportant. So…vanilla.
Yet, these books are read, enjoyed and often rise to the pinnacle of sundae-com. And they are satisfying in their vanilla-ness. I like a good vanilla story now and then. Hell, I read mostly mysteries, which are pretty cut and dried as books go. I order the same thing at Starbucks everyday. Taco Bell always sees me with the same two items… My life, in fact…other than almost dying three years ago…is pretty vanilla.
Most people’s lives are. Now, some readers react to this by craving the absolutely most outrageous plots there are. Others? Well, others find disruptions in their day to day life leave them craving something they can really believe in. The little detour and not the alien abduction.
They don’t want the triple explosion of caramel, cherry, chocolate, nuts and fudge. They want a simple sundae…maybe with sprinkles.
All it takes is for the writer to believe that vanilla is good. Vanilla is happy. Vanilla can hold nuances of snark and sweetness, depending on where it is harvested. I say, celebrate the vanilla and reclaim the word, the idea, the ice cream!
Yes, it isn’t Friday, but it’s a play day anyway. How do you like to dress up your vanilla? As a writer? As a reader? As an ice cream aficionado?
According to Tolonac myth, a princess fell in love with a mortal, was denied permission to marry so they ran off together. Well, they were caught and beheaded…but where their blood fell the vine of the tropical vanilla orchid grew. Isn’t that romantic? (Save for the beheading part.)
It is the most expensive spice, after saffron, because of the man-power involved. (That sounds nice if you don’t think too hard about it. Man-power…mmmmm!) Vanilla is also considered an aphrodisiac.
Everyone has a favorite bit of vanilla. Some like French vanilla, some like soft serve, some like to just inhale the pure essence. It’s been a perfume, as well as a flavor of ice cream. (Obvious which incarnation I am fond of.)
What doest his have to do with writing? Well, I think vanilla writing is all in the perspective. Not everyone will write with streaks of reddish cherry swirl and massive chunks of sinful caramel and chocolate. But one who does would likely call something vanilla that another writer would view as total scandal.
One person’s vanilla is another person’s total occasion for sin.
Just like in one part of the country the lines between erotica and smut are very close and in others, they are miles apart. It’s all in the definitions, but also in the experience. And in what one likes.
If one likes vanilla…and who doesn’t? So easy to dress up with a ribbon of fudge, some whipped cream and a few toasted nuts… Maybe some caramel or banana chunks… M&Ms or Captain Crunch… (Been to a yogurt shop lately to see some of the toppings they offer? Gummi bears? Really?)
*shakes head, must rise above threatening sugar coma…
July is national ice cream month, in case no one knew.
So, not all books offer up the blood guts and gore of Stephen King or Dean Koontz. Or the sexual twister of Laurell K. Hamilton. Or the convoluted plot paths of Dan Brown. Not all characters are multi-dimensional entities that can walk between the worlds of time and space.
Conflict isn’t always about life and death and saving the world, thwarting the assassin (or being the assassin), surviving the apocalypse or defeating the biggest bad ever.
Sometimes, it’s just about falling in love. Keeping a job. Raising a child. Buying the bodacious pair of shoes the character saw in an advert! So many things that seemingly are unimportant. So…vanilla.
Yet, these books are read, enjoyed and often rise to the pinnacle of sundae-com. And they are satisfying in their vanilla-ness. I like a good vanilla story now and then. Hell, I read mostly mysteries, which are pretty cut and dried as books go. I order the same thing at Starbucks everyday. Taco Bell always sees me with the same two items… My life, in fact…other than almost dying three years ago…is pretty vanilla.
Most people’s lives are. Now, some readers react to this by craving the absolutely most outrageous plots there are. Others? Well, others find disruptions in their day to day life leave them craving something they can really believe in. The little detour and not the alien abduction.
They don’t want the triple explosion of caramel, cherry, chocolate, nuts and fudge. They want a simple sundae…maybe with sprinkles.
All it takes is for the writer to believe that vanilla is good. Vanilla is happy. Vanilla can hold nuances of snark and sweetness, depending on where it is harvested. I say, celebrate the vanilla and reclaim the word, the idea, the ice cream!
Yes, it isn’t Friday, but it’s a play day anyway. How do you like to dress up your vanilla? As a writer? As a reader? As an ice cream aficionado?
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105 comments:
I was craving ice cream the other day, and now I know why! It's Ice Cream Month (which I didn't know, so thanks for telling me! I will probably go out for a celebration later. LOL)
I think vanilla got a bad rap because when I was growing up it WAS bland -- they took all the goodness of the vanilla bean out of it and it had to be gussied up with all the other stuff. LOL Kinda like how cocktails were invented to disguise how bad the alcohol was during Prohibition days.
For years I wore a vanilla lotion that was wonderful and warm and inviting -- then they discontinued it. Aaaugh!
So yes, I am a fan of vanilla -- and I love this post!
I am a fan of vanilla, in both ice cream and scent. My lotion is vanilla, my body spray is warm vanilla, and all the air fresheners in my house and office are vanilla. Is it any wonder I am the poster child for vanilla? ;)
I appreciate any effort to make vanilla more exciting, but it only takes one time hearing, "You're so....vanilla", in a negative tone to lock in your perception of the statement. But I am willing to make an effort to change that.
In my reading, I guess I'd qualify as vanilla. I like real life stories, set today or yesteryear, where people struggle and fall in love, have their hearts broken and find healing. In fact, there are times I read about the newest high concept book headed our way and just think, "Not for me."
I love chocolate and marshmallow on my vanilla ice cream. Yummm... I need to get to Friendly's soon.
As for vanilla stories. I like some of the basic type of romances. But all of them, if they're going to hold my attention, have to do the basic things really well. If a story doesn't have some "high concept" then it has to do all the "low concept" stuff right. Great characterization, tight plot, fantastic emotional involvement.
If we're lucky, the high concept stories do that too.
Was the alternate title to this blog: "Ode to the Bo'sun: Or Get a Grip, Terri"? Because this screamed Terri from beginning to end.
And I love vanilla as both an ice cream AND a perfume. And I've also pointed out before that chocolate has to have vanilla in it in order for it to taste as good as it does. Vanilla enhances everything. You can cook without chocolate--but you can't cook without vanilla. Vanilla is like the salt of sweet cooking--if it's missing, you know it.
And as for the idiot male who said, "You're so vanilla"--have you ever considered that he might have been lashing out at you that you were judging him for being too kinky or whatever, so he decided to be snide and hurt you instead? Sex is definitely a vulnerable act--and having people perceive us as too vanilla or too out there is always going to have us spilling our guts to our therapists.
I think vanilla got a bad rap because when I was growing up it WAS bland
No, I think it got a bad rap because it was ARTIFICIAL. Real vanilla is to die for. Artificial anything is crap. The key here is don't worry about if you're vanilla--worry if you're being artificial.
Good point, Hellie. I think back in the day people were making "ice milk" for god's sake. LOL Which is pretty much milk frozen until it has ice crystals and artificial vanilla flavor.
Gag. Even I can cook better than that!
Donna - I love a good French Vanilla... I do remember growing up and thinking vanilla ice cream was just cold white stuff. Then I had snuck some of my Mom's French vanilla and wowzer!
Yes, today is an ice cream day!
See, I like ice milk bars covered in chocolate. LOL! To each her own!
Bo'sun - The trick is to let any comment denoting vanilla as plain and unloved is... You say, "Thank You! I love vanilla!"
Much as strong women are working to reclaim the word bitch...vanilla is not a bad word, flavor or style. To use it as an insult is to illustrate how ignorant one is.
As Hellie points out, without vanilla, the base for all decadent flavors would fall apart.
Also, I truly to do believe that one person's vanilla is another person's complex thriller. So, you never know! Taste's change...I've developed a real hankering for vanilla writing. And have learned that truly good vanilla writing is so beautifully fashioned, one doesn't miss the high concept or massive world saving explosions.
It's subtle, it's warm and it's inviting.
I'm pleading the 5th on Hellie's comment. :)
I baked vanilla cupcakes this morning, preparing for the bi-weekly Visitation of the Grands. Each has his/her favorite--chocolate (2), strawberry, lemon, peanut butter (2)--but they all like vanilla.
As for writing, I write vanilla too, Ter, but I don't mind. There are vanilla writers who regularly make the bestseller lists while the work of some spicy and experimental scribes languish on bookstore shelves. Whatever the flavor, it's the quality of the ingredients, the skill of the cook, and the tastes of the consumers that determine the success of the dish.
Marn - I recieved no kickback from the ice cream makers today.
Though, damn it, I should have thought about soliciting one!
A good vanilla story will outshine one with bells, whistles and bedazzling anyday. I would almost say...a vanilla story is harder to craft. Because you are right, everything must be done with perfect attention to details...
Hels - In December, when I was cruising to Mexico, Jane told me..."Get some vanilla while you're down there."
I thought, "Oh, sure. I bake so-o-o-o-o-o-o much."
Then I checked into it and yes, I came home with many different brands and types of vanilla. Because in Mexico you get the real thing. I bought some powdered stuff home that is like crack for coffee...that good!
And yer on ta me, this blog be for Terri!
Yes, well, ice milk is really just an excuse to eat the chocolate shell. Plus, there is that pretend factor that it isn't as full of buttermilk and heart killing fats...
You know, if you're gonna do the ice cream dance now and then, dance with the devil and get the good stuff...
Janga! My point exactly, it's like stripping stuff down to the basics...no thing to hide behind. No magicians trick of distracting with one hand so the eye misses what the other is doing.
A good vanilla story plays no tricks, it just presents itself out there, naked, vulnerable, but to the discerning eye...given with gods own grace.
Like a really good scoop of ice cream. Wonder if Baskin Robbins is open yet?
Janga - I'm definitely not knocking the vanilla stories. I love them and have no desire to write anything else. It's just a matter of "look at what I have!" when sitting next to other, more high concept books. Really, just marketing these days. Vanilla is a tougher sell, and as Marn points out, better be REALLY well written.
*LOL* I remember when I went to Mexico on a cruise and I had people coming out of the woodwork for vanilla requests. I was like WTF. Esp since I was saving my bag space for RUM, thank you very much, not freaking vanilla. Now I wish I had stocked up on some vanilla.
I wish ALL stories were really well written--not just the vanilla ones. I'd be a lot less pissed off and have to trade in a lot less books into my store. Come to think of it, my bookstore would be happier to see me if I was a lot less cranky about the books I'd been reading.
Ter - I think it matters who you're sitting next to. And how you present your vanilla story... And most assuredly, how excited you are about it will sell it to the listener.
I figured that out when peddling the pirate stuff. A lot of eyes glaze over at the word pirate, so I had to make sure my love came through, my 'fun' energy and enthusiasm for it had to be right up there.
Vanilla stories need to be sold on your love of the story and why you believe readers will enjoy it and want to read it.
And maybe steal one of Janga's cupcakes to use as a prop.
Next trip, Hels, stock up!
I also brought home some rum and tequilla... ;)
Hellie - I do agree. It's like wading through the disguised books to find a real jewel. All the bedazzling out there can fool the eye...
I remember a long-ago trip to Mexico, buying a huge bottle of vanilla (it looked like a wine bottle! LOL) I think I got to use it once and then I dropped it on the kitchen floor, breaking it. But damn, my house smelled REALLY good for a long time! LOL
You know, if you’re gonna do the ice cream dance now and then, dance with the devil and get the good stuff…
This has been my philosophy the past few years -- where QUALITY is more important, and satisfying, than QUANTITY. :)
I never thought of that, but taking a cupcake to the pitch appointment might be a good idea. LOL! I've got a first line for the pitch! Best one I've come up with so far. It's a starting point. And you're right, I will infuse this bad boy with my love for this story.
I think since I've been working on the first 50 pages for weeks, I've forgotten all the good stuff that is in the other 330 pages. There's a lot of good stuff in there, I've just forgotten about it.
Two things to fill the kitchen with...the scent of vanilla and cinnamon. Nothing more heavenly. Though to sacrifice an entire bottle of vanilla to get there is sad. ;(
Yay, Terri for the first line for the pitch!
I think it's good to remember that the people you're pitching to WANT to get excited about your book -- so YOU have to rev them up. They are used to reading analytically even more than we are, so if you can make them forget to do that. . .SCORE!
And Ter - You must keep away from the deadly word... "JUST"
You could actually use the word vanilla...as long as you say sprinkles... IMHO!
I sprinkle "just" into everything. It just happens. LOL!
We all have our quirks...
And let's face it...how many times on any given pitch day do they hear, "It's a vampire story, but it's got a twist!"
You've got baseball, small town and someone who loves books...and no shifters, vampires or assassins... What you don't have will add attraction, I'm sure of it!
Is this going to turn into a Bo'sun pep talk all day? LOL! I'm getting uncomfortable!
Marn - How's the little guy doing?
Donna - How about those submissions?
Sin - How was the monkey?
Anyone?!
Oops -- not INVESTING, but INVESTIGATING! Aaaugh. Hope I'm better with my revisions than this! LOL
I have nothing to report on the submissions (although someone was investing my website quite thoroughly last night, so with my hyperactive imagination. . .well, you can only guess what I *wish* was happening! LOL)
I am finishing the last bit of revisions on the historical today. I will let it sit while I go get ice cream -- oh, and yeah, groceries! Then one last read-thru tomorrow before I sent it off to Ms. Agent. :)
Okay, I'll bite. How can you tell someone is investigating your website?
OK, I'll bite. How does one know someone is investigaing your website? Do I want to know? And damn, I need to contact the woman I got working on mine to light a fire...
And I'd like to think this blog is for vanilla everywhere...
2nd has a point. You have to be willing to sell vanilla. If you look like you're bored by vanilla, the other guy will be too. There are people--like my Deerhunter--who could go to Alaska and sell ice to Eskimos. I don't understand how he's able to make ice necessary to them, but he could do it. I couldn't sell water to a guy whose house was on fire--and god knows he'd need it. It's something that needs to be learned to be in this business though.
And the best thing of all, we're not selling ice to Eskimos. We're selling water to the guy with the house on fire. They NEED us. We just need to believe they need us.
SPRINKLES!!
I love sprinkles.
Multi-colored chaos dumped onto my vanilla.
Sorry, we're covering for another DR for the rest of this week and next and my life is literally hell.
The monkey is a pain in my ass. As usual. He destroyed my sex tape of me and Ranger.
I don't think you should take a cupcake to your pitch. I think you should take a baseball and sign Nate Campbell's name on it.
YES! Hel is right! Set a baseball on the table, with his autograph on it! I love props.
One day I'll do a blog on props...
Sin, sorry about the sex tape, but if you will use banana mash when toying with Ranger, than that monkey is going to go ape... ;-)
So, I'm up...Bonnie has eaten her breakfast...we're going to head out early and get that walking done! It's a brilliant day here, another morning without fog, bright and full of sun... I better get out there before the fog moves in.
Will check in soon!
And I can also report that I made it through the first Steig Larsson book (painfully slow and bored) but the second book has been MUCH better. Right up my alley. Salander and I are a lot alike.
WTF why are there trademarks in italics?
"I don’t think you should take a cupcake to your pitch. I think you should take a baseball and sign Nate Campbell’s name on it."
That is one bad ass idea, Hells.
It's only happening with you, Sin. Makes it look more evil. LOL
Terri, my blog/site is on Typepad and it shows which page visitors go to -- it also shows if they link from somewhere else. But if it doesn't show a link, that means someone typed in my web addy.
And if it's someone who reads my blog, they just stay there. But someone who hasn't been there before goes through all the pages, including the excerpts, and the About Me page -- even the separate mini-site I have for my historical.
Sin, you better not do this now! LOL
I noticed that yesterday. I'm guessing it's your browser. :)
I like this baseball idea. Donna, think you can find out how Christine feels about baseball? LOL! Her favorite team maybe?
I checked out your site when you first told us about it. So a couple months ago, I guess? That was me. LOL!
Terri, I'll see what I can find out for you about Christine's baseball likes/dislikes!
Oh, and random info -- "sprinkles" out here are called "jimmies". I can never get used to that, and they can't seem to get used to me calling them "sprinkles". LOL
LOL. It also tells me what time each page was looked at, so I check it about every hour. Or half hour. When I should be doing other stuff. LOL
Dear DRD,
I do not need your website to know all about you. That is what evil intelligence is for.
Sincerely,
Evil Twin
Not something you put on ice cream.
Please tell the yankees a jimmy is something you use to break into a car.
Dear Evil Twin,
Telling Yankees how to do anything is about as productive as telling YOU how to not be evil.
And I did not believe you would search through my website to learn about me, but rather to torment me into thinking an editor-ish person was trying to learn about me.
Very truly yours,
DRD
Why does it matter what team she prefers? A baseball looks like a baseball. It doesn't have a logo on it. Are you going to find out who everyone's favorite team is and pitch Nate accordingly? *LOL*
He lives in Ohio, so one would think most of the people around there would be Cleveland Indians fans (perhaps), so Nate should have played for whoever is the mortal enemy of them. That'd be funny to see in the town people. Snarl every time his team is mention. "Oh, not you, Nate, we know you were a good boy."
Dear DRD,
One might think I would be that evil... But alas, that would be too obvious.
Sincerely,
Evil Twin
Dear Evil Twin,
It seems we would benefit by you taking a vacation from being evil.
Very truly yours,
DRD
P.S. Do we need to sue the makers of the new movie "Despicable Me" for stealing the story of your evilness? :)
Nate plays for the Rays because I wanted him to have played for the Durham Bulls in the minors. :)
Just thought I'd get her a ball from the team she likes, if she likes one. Never know what you might find in a sports stuff store. Then again, that would really look like buttering her up because the books not good enough, so maybe not.
Okay, but I'm still toying with the idea. Chance, you could make a button that looks like a baseball, huh?
Yes, I could make a pin that looks like a baseball. I could also have picked up a pair of stufed baseballs on a rope, for hanging from a rearview mirror a few weeks ago when I was perusing the party store. Ones that could be written on with a sharpie...btw.
And I just might be packing those into my suitcase for Orlando...
Donna - that all sounds terribly techie... Right now if someone was checking out my website with that much care, I'd be worried. It's totally static.
And it really is useless to expect Sin to turn over a new leaf. Unless there is something interesting under it...
Do not buy the stuffed baseballs on a rope! LOL! You have to stop buying me stuff, my dear. Let me look around and if I don't find something, we'll consider that plan B. :)
Like a bomb.
Or Ranger...
Dude, can't you buy a baseball from walmart for like $4 or something? And it's smaller and easier to pack.
Tish tosh! They cost nothing and are already in the house...suck it up. They were on sale, really! I'm a total victim when it comes to things on sale...
I bet there are play baseballs, smaller and not so deadly as the real ones at Target or Walmart...
If you don't want to break up this pair...and I'm not sure how they would look with the rope gone... They sort look like some demented idea of sport nunchuks (is that how it's spelled?). But they are supposed to be in place of furry dice.
I could, but I'm going to have to think about it. No one actually plays ball in the story, so I need to find the right way to work it. Though he does go to the batting cages to think when he's irritated.
And it's his history! And he coaches the kids...lots of balls bouncing around the story. Maybe her kid can ask him to autograph a ball?
I just keep thinking of soap on a rope. LOL! Not good!
Whatever I figure out, showing up prepared with promo materials has got to be good. Hellie gets an extra present for the idea!
How do you feel about a pirate hat with mouse ears?
Well, I would have if I could have...
I already have two reserved for us, dearest.
I meant for Hellie. LOL!
Oh, well...we can get her a pair!
LOL!
You mean everything isn't all about me?
I know, shocking isn't it? ;)
Great blog! I can almost smell the vanilla. Yum. :) I love vanilla. Everyone loves vanilla so it has the greatest potential to be a best seller. Hear that, Terri? LOL Just when you thought the conversation had let you off the hook. :)
Hey, Melissa! Glad ta see ya aboard! How's school?
And yes, everyone does love vanilla! I even like the color...that creamy sort of yellow/white...
Oooh, I get an extra present? *clapping*
I always wanted the mickey mouse hat when I was a kid. Heck when I was in Orlando a few weeks ago, getting all Harried out, I was still thinking, "I sorta want some mouse ears." They have them on hair bands now, but I like the ones that look like the old fashioned ones. The Jewish hat with ears attached. *LOL*
Kosher Mickey ears? Well, why not?
You're looking at this one: http://www.disneystore.com/ear-hats-pirates-of-the-caribbean-mickey-mouse-ear-hat/p/1253980/70996/
Whereas my purist self was looking at this:
http://www.disneystore.com/ear-hats-personalized-disneyland-resort-mickey-mouse-ear-hat-for-adults/p/1254655/70996/
With my name on it, of course.
I should have known. *rolls eyes*
Maybe I'll just get you this one and be done with it. http://www.disneystore.com/hats-personalized-red-pants-mickey-mouse-ear-hat/p/1250546/65018/
AHHHHHHH! I love the pirate one! Not like the Mickey pirate hats I saw a few years ago...they had a bite out of the ear, a scarf wrapped around the head part and a gold earring.
The pants one...yes...with her name on the back. Captain Hellion.
But what's poking out of the pants one? Ewwww!
*runs away to draft a souvenir list*
That's what I thought, Donna. Who would want that?!
Great, they're making lists, Mo. This is all your fault.
*stomps back to her reports*
Melissa - It does smell better than usual around here today. LOL! Here, have some vanilla rum, it's totally awesome.
Now stop encouraging them, would you? :)
;-) I love buying gifts!
*bouncing up and down*
It's YOUR fault for the lists. I didn't realize I could request something from Disneyland until you mentioned mouse ears. I'll let you surprise me. You always get me something good.
My original list was more along the lines of "While you're getting YOUR signed copy of A Kiss at Midnight, can you get me one too?"
But you don't have to get me anything. I mean where am I going to wear a mickey mouse hat anyway? In bed? I think the Deerhunter even has some limits. At work? Actually it might be kinda fun if I wore it to work.
Oh, the Eloisa book I can definitely do. You'll probably get a few more in addition to that one. LOL! Books are the EASIEST souvenir to get at conference.
You could wear the ears in bed and then Deerhunter could pretend he's Elmer Fudd.
LOL!
Be vewwy vewwy quiet, I'm hunting wats.
LOL -- I vote for the Elmer Fudd. (Wicked funny. LOL)
And the thing poking out of the hat? It doesn't appear to meet the height requirement. LOL (You know, "you must be THIS tall, etc., etc.")
Donna, you are one sick puppy.
I like that about you!
*blushes*
Why thank you! I owe it all to you pirates. You inspire me on a daily basis. LOL
Okay, I'm off to loot and pillage (translation: go buy groceries. LOL)
And I am off to walk Bonnie-girl, snatch some lunch and head home to continue the madness. Oh, and stop and buy some printer paper so I can print up my book and read it aloud...entertaining the animals in the yard. Yes, I may stand out on my deck, overlooking the wilderness and pontificate...with gestures.
You know, if I'm going to read the sucker aloud, I ought to do it with style.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought vanilla meant ordinary, mediocre, and possibly boring. Of course the writing has to be technically good, but unless the plot has that special spark that turns it into rum and raisin, then I doubt that I would want to read it much less buy it.
With a bookshop full of rum and raisin, Irish cream, cherry brandy and much more exotics, why spend time tasting vanilla? Life is much too short and reading time much too valuable. :lol:
Though if its ice cream we're talking about, I know a fabulous Welsh Wizard in a village called Cricccieth, who makes incredible ice cream. There is only one flavor and its vanilla but the recipe includes a special ingredient passed down through the generations, and its a guarded secret. So there is vanilla and VANILLA
Bit like my favorite fiction really, and I include the witch Miranda in that. :D
I'm a vanilla lover, too! We always used to argue when I was a kid about what flavor to get at the store. My younger brother always wanted chocolate and I always wanted vanilla. I've expanded my horizons in my old age but it usually comes back to vanilla.
In fact, I was making french toast this morning for the kiddies and as I was mixing the egg batter I just hopped into the pantry and grabbed the bottle of pure vanilla extract and poured a little dash in and the kids loved it!
As for reading/writing I suppose I'm the same there. Funny thing - I thought I was being wild and crazy by reading historicals, and then, OMG... medievals! Do I know how to get crazy or what?!
Ah, but Q! There are no other flavors without vanilla as a beginning! And vanilla has nuances that make it worthwhile all by itself.
If for nothing else than the contrast.
Slow down, Irish, you might end up vying with Sin for most notorious pirate! ;-)
I have an author in our local RWA who used to write medievals! Uh...Lynna Banning, I think is her name.
Oh, vanilla in French toast, sounds marvelous!
Well, I just got back from Trader Joe's, and I brought some of their French Vanilla ice cream back with me. I'll do the taste test and let you know if it's any good!
And the best French toast is made with eggnog. YUM. Try it with the different flavors at the holidays, too. :)
Always interesting how recipes shift...best pumpkin pie I ever had? The crust was made with ginger snaps. Incredible!
What a lovely day for vanilla! And a big congrats to our Bo'sun, the lovely and deliciously vanilla Terrio, who sold a piece to Woman's World magazine today!
Aye! Vanilla rum all around!!!!
;-)
;-)
;-)
Ter! CONGRATS!
Double congrats! Damn phone browser.
Ter! CONGRATS! That's awesome news!
Who'd a thunk a blog on vanilla would hit 100 comments!?
Ain't it great 'bout Terri!
Whoop! Whoop!
Chance, you are too sweet. LOL! You've been dipping too much in vanilla! But this is one case where vanilla wins there day. Those are exactly the kinds of stories WW loves. LOL!
Thanks, Sin. Twice!
But this is one case where vanilla wins there day. Those are exactly the kinds of stories WW loves. LOL!
No LOLs about it , Terri. Vanilla with a capital V* is always in style.
*= Vanilla with a capital V is (IMO!) the common woman or man's story told in an Extrodinary way!
Chance the answer to your vanilla question is: Liszt!
Trust me people. It makes complete sense. Just go to tomorrow’s blog, which was actually posted today, to Discover my theory on vanilla.
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