Thursday, January 27, 2011
In honor of our Coxswain.
If you’ve not been paying attention, Coxswain Hal is in her last month of pregnancy. As I just did the last month of hell, I feel for her.
In my last trimester, I had the world’s worst craving for these no bake cookies that I make. They’re a lot of butter, a lot of sugar, chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal. I boil them on the stove and then let them set up and they taste like heaven when they’re done. With my first pregnancy, I craved mint chocolate chip ice cream. But it was a particular brand—Turkey Hill Mint Choco Chip—that I had to have and it got so bad that my DH would call on his way home from work and ask if we had some in the freezer. That’s love, my friends, that’s love.
But, of the two MS I’ve written, I rarely mentioned food. In fact, I don’t notice food in a lot of stories I read. Yet, my life pretty much revolves around sweets and good yummy food. Right now I’m waiting on cinnamon rolls from the oven. If food’s so important to me, why isn’t it as important to my heroines? And if my hero likes beef jerky, that might add something to my story. Like in Ocean’s Eleven, when Brad Pitt’s character is constantly eating. I love that about him.
Same could apply to anything we think is important. A reliance on coffee. A reliance on Mountain Dew. An affinity for handbags. Shoes. A love of the zodiac. Whatever.
So what about you? Do you use food in your MS? Any movies where the characters wouldn’t be the same without their love of food? Any foibles you could include in your characters? Anyone eating anything good today?
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86 comments:
I haven't added any food cravings to my WIP but I do think that sometimes reading about a characters addiction to food or shoes, etc. can help make them more relatable. We all have our "thing", so why shouldn't our characters?
In the last book I read, A Brush of Darkness, the heroine is constantly talking about her addiction to bacon. It fit within the story line becuase she has to eat constantly for power, but she fixates on bacon and it's quite funny.
Thank you Marnee, you are a goddess among pirates!
I read Meg Benjamin's "Venus in Blue Jeans" over the weekend, since everybody was raving about it last week, and I noticed her use of food. I was hungry the whole time I was reading it.
Of course, I'm always hungry, so it's not like it was a big surprise, I just really, really wanted to dive into that book and go to those places and get that food she kept mentioning.
It did give it a very realistic feel, because we all eat. My WIP really only covers a 24-hour period (lots of action over the whole 24 hours), so at one point, I realized they probably had to eat *something* and tossed some eggs on toast in here (they're in Ireland). Hmmm....now I'm thinking I may have missed some opportunities here....
Hal - You read the book! Didn't you love it? Cal. *sigh* And a heroine who isn't dainty and wisp thin was so refreshing. LOL!
My characters eat now and then. There's one point where Emma has an extra-super stressful day early in the book where she has her BFF bring her dark chocolate truffles. The scene goes down as if it's a crack deal in the beginning and she needs a fix. I think it's funny.
I hope it's funny.
There's also spaghetti and pizza. This is essential set in my hometown which is probably 80% Italians. Very fitting for the area. :)
Hal - you're welcome, sweets.
:)
I am always hungry too, but I'm not preggo. That's probably not good.....
I was thinking there should be lots of places for me to add them in my MS too. I'm adding an 8 year old boy, so that's probably plenty of opportunity right there.
Scape - I've heard about the bacon obsession in A Brush of Darkness. I've heard there's a recipe for putting bacon in brownies. Anyone hear of this?
My arteries clogged just reading that.
Harry Potter wouldn't be the same without the food. *LOL* And Barbara O'Neal (or Samuel?) wouldn't be the same without the food. I remember in A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux, where the heroine made brownies in Tudor England (which she went to some amazing trouble to pull it off, but you believed, Yeah, that would work...).
I'm always noticing food in books. *LOL* And I almost always usually start craving whatever they're eating. *LOL* And then I'll go, "I have the stuff for that" and I'll start making it. It's sad, I admit.
And I have food occasionally in my WIPs. I had it in GOGU quite a bit--pancakes, jerked chicken, et al. In this one, I haven't had food yet...I'm not very far and I don't have a lot of opportunity with the story line to focus on food. I can focus on the lack of it though. *LOL* That could be fun. *LOL* In the first WIP, there was food there too, notably, chocolate ice cream...and I believe waffles. Apparently I like breakfast foods in my books. Something to do the morning after, I guess.
Bo'sun - dark chocolate truffles..... Now we're talking about the good stuff. These days I have to hide that stuff in my house because my eldest is loving him some chocolate. I refuse to share expensive chocolate with him. Just out of principle. I mean, he's 4. He can't APPRECIATE the sweet, awesomeness of Godiva. To him, it's just like any other chocolate. SO, until he gets his priorities right, it's Hershey bars for him.
A crack deal. Hahahhaa!!
I really need to get my hand on Meg Benjamin's books.
I forgot about that scene. Emma is making breakfast and Nate decides he'd rather have....something else. On the counter. LOL!
Ahem.
Crusie is a master of many things and food is one of them. The Chicken Marsala in BET ME is legendary at this point. LOL! I think Hellie even makes it!
Crusie also had that banana bread from the last book, but while I enjoy banana bread, I can eat it once every 2 years or so and not have it again for a while.
I make chicken marsala because of Jenny Crusie. Yes. *LOL* And it comes out pretty tasty, I think. Well, it's at least edible.
I have pictures of someone making the bacon brownies. I know they exist. I've heard they're good. I love both bacon and brownies separately but together? I'm reserving judgment.
Hells - You're right! HP wouldn't be the same without the food. I always wanted to try some of that. Maybe sometime soon I can get to Harry Potter world in Orlando so I can try it.
I like breakfast food too, pancakes, sweet rolls of any kind.
My current MS is in the Regency, so I'd have to figure out the food. It's hard to add the food though when I'm not craving that food. Meat pies? Not so much.
I've got a menu plan for a week now. Thanks guys! LOL
I don't have too much food in my books so far, although in one I'm revising the hero is a chef, so there is some food there.
There's usually coffee involved though (big surprise!)
I love Chicken Marsala but the DH hates mushrooms. (I know, crazy right?) I get it when I go out to restaurants. There's an Italian place here that I go to and it's sooooo good.
And I make banana bread all the time. It's a family fav.
Yes, but Brits are about the BREAKFAST, Marn. Hot chocolate, bacon, eggs, toast, etc. Whenever I read about food in the Regency period, it's usually a buffet breakfast--and the heroine is eating bacon. Good times.
Or Gunther's ice cream.
Or perhaps a roasted bird or two. Other sides are always rather vague in books, since their idea of cooking veggies was soooooo much different than ours.
Crime shows seem to always have coffee. Whether it's Tony and Gibbs getting theirs mixed up, or Castle bringing Kate a cup every morning. Coffee is essential.
Marn - Are you watching Downton Abby? I know it's Edwardian and not Regency, but I don't think English food has changed much over the years. In the show, they're always sitting down to another meal and a few specific dishes have been mentioned so far.
I did have this idea in my head for a heroine who cooks when she's stressed. It was RS so every time something went wrong (regularly), she'd start cooking all this food . . . I need to use her somewhere. She was fun.
Ter - yeah, I really liked Meg Benjamin's "Venus in Blue Jeans." I'm waiting to guy the next one in the series until I head for the hospital. I figure that'll be a nice distraction once they drug me up. Cause I plan on getting some major drugs.
Dude. We're soooo married to the same person.
It's creepy, really :)
I love Downton Abbey! I love seeing the "modern" things of the early 20th century with the formality of the previous century. It's also great to see how the servants are just like all the co-workers you've ever had to deal with. LOL Some work harder than others, some are sneaky and petty. Good times.
I just tried to eat my monitor.
I've never heard of Downton Abbey. Is it something I need to find?
Hal, I've been watching Downton Abbey on the pbs.org website each week. It's written by Julian Fellowes, who wrote Gosford Park, and it's kind of a modern-ish version of Upstairs, Downstairs. I am really enjoying it.
LOL, Leslie -- wait til we break out the alcohol.
you are my favorite people ever, with the pirates and the eating and the drinking...
Yes, Les, we're very businessy and professional here. *LOL* What's not to love?
LOL!
Donna - I loved how they talked about putting electricity in the house and felt the kitchens simply didn't need it. LOL!
Hal - It's the latest Masterpiece Theater series. Starts with the sinking of the Titanic (that plays a small roll to kick off the story.) Lots of drama and sibling rivalry. Maggie Smith is the perfect Dowager Countess. You must find them!
And drugs are good. I had Demmerol (sp?) and the epidural. Best. Stuff. Ever.
Donna - I so want Thomas and O'Brien to get sacked. They're so awful!
The Benjamin books are good for lots of drinking. There's a winery and a couple bars. And the guys are always drinking beers like Dos Equis.
Maybe that's why they seem so real, they act like real people.
Terri, I despise Thomas and O'Brien! Despise them.
And Maggie Smith is SO hilarious the way she says these awful mean nasty things, but with a little laugh as if she doesn't KNOW she's saying awful mean nasty things, but you know it's deliberate. She's amazing.
The clothes are so beautiful too.
Hal - I love the idea of a heroine who cooks when she's stressed.
I could totally be in a crime show. I love some coffee.
I haven't seen Downtown Abbey. What channel is that on?
Hells - I think I could include breakfast. I can get into breakfast. I think I might even do that in the chapter I'm working on. Bacon.... yummmm....
Hal - I think we are married to the same man. It's frightening. Who doesn't like mushrooms? Weirdos.
Leslie - We're all about the calories around here....
Hal - drugs are good. That sounded bad....
I need to find this show. I think I'd love it. I thought Gosford Park was great.
Uhm...I don't like mushrooms.
Donna - I love her English prejudices. An Englishman would never die in someone else's home. And then she didn't know what a weekend was. LOL! Too funny.
Bo'sun - You don't like any veggies, I thought....
yay! I revised another scene this week.
Wow, that's a *ton* of progress. I gotta speed up.
I feel the need to insert something writerly into all this food talk.
I finished my first chapter! Again! For the... *ahem* fifth *ahem* time!
not a fan of mushrooms, unless they are the kind that "inspire" with hallucinations. not that i've ever had any of those, but i keep hoping...
Mushrooms are veggies?
I'm up to 302 pages revises and now getting to the part where I have to add scenes that don't already exist. Feeling a bit daunting as I realize all the loose ends I have hanging out there. But I'm still going!
Now we know what to put in Leslie's drink.
Mushrooms are veggies?
*sigh*
Et tu, Leslie? LOL!!
Yay, revisions for Hal and Ter!! Keep it up ladies!!
What? I thought they were just a fungus.
Just a fungus makes it sound like an STD, Bo'sun.
I tried to look it up on Wikipedia (the question of if mushrooms are vegetables or fungi) and got contradictory information (surprise!).
I just wrote 1000 words, so I'm gonna go make some more coffee.
And imaginary sticky buns.
Dude. Go Donna!
If the fungi fits....
Go Donna Go!!!
Contradictory info on Wikipedia? huh, who would have guessed?
I just looked too and found this. Funniest comment ever.
"And I won't eat mushrooms. Mushrooms are not vegetarian. They eat other plants and animals. They are heterotrophs. I don't eat things that eat other plants and animals."
LMAO!!!
Slightly OT: I have my iPod on shuffle and just heard a song in Spanish. WTH did that come from??
so basically, mushrooms are cannibals or zombies or both...
I'm sensing a story plot here....
Hey, Marn, is this near you?
http://primgraph.blogspot.com/2011/01/steampunk-worlds-fair-2011.html
Chance may need to come visit. LOL
I'm now picturing a cartoon mushroom going "nom nom nom nom" on some dandelions while they're trying to get away. It's not pretty.
Marn, you may find some info on Regency food on the Two Nerdy History Girls blog (Loretta Chase and Susan Holloway Scott). I know they list food in their categories. http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.com/
Hellie's right about Barbara O'Neal's food books. They are wonderful. Sara Addison Allen's The Girl Who Chased the Moon is another book where food is central to the plot, as is Sherry Thomas's Delicious.
Food's not thematic in TLWH, but I do mention it often. There's a barbecue place where the characters eat, the characters love a pharmacy that serves the best lemonade in the state, one character is always feeding people, and the heroine seeks solace in pecan praline ice cream.
I'm gonna jump ahead and rave a bit about the food stuff in my book. Emily, who is from present time, ending up in the Tortuga of 1690...and how she misses certain foods. Pizza...now and then she will just think about pizza and her mouth waters.
In the second book, one of the locals who is now the lead recalls that concoction Emily is always ranting about and wonders how something with such a strange name...pissa...could sound so good!
First thing Emily grabs when she ends up back in CA? Donuts. First thing she grabs to take back with her? A big bag of M&Ms...
Food, it's important to character descriptions! ;-)
Ah, the world steampunk fair...alas, no New Jersy for me this year! I will be going to the Nova Albion Steampunk fair in San Jose come March!
Did I miss the discussion? Dang it! I'm up early tomorrow so I can slap the new pirate around for hijacking one of me Fridays.
No rum fer her!
The first person that came to mind was Barbara O'Neal, like Hellie and Janga said already. Her most recent book How The Bake A Perfect Life is all about bread and how you grow the starter. She includes all sorts of recipes too. I really never thought that reading about food would do much for me but she makes it amazing. It is also very much a part of the character - it is what she goes to when she's stressed or needs to sort out her life.
I absolutely loved Crusie's take on food with Min in Bet Me. I thought it was spot on.
I'm really bummed I've missed Downton Abbey. My PBS channel here carries it and I just never caught it. I have to check PBS every so often to make sure they're not throwing some good stuff in between all the nature and kid's shows. LOL
I'm pretty sure this new pirate will have her own. LOL!
They all left us, Chance. *twiddles thumbs* We need to call up some hotties to entertain us.
*blows whistle*
Where are those boys? Chance, go let them out of Donna's cabin.
Ter, aren't you the one responsible for loading the songs onto your iPod?
Unless the kiddo has access - I can totally see that happening. I got in my car last week and turned on my GPS. The lady started talking Italian! My son's idea of a joke. Educating these kids was my first mistake!
Irish - Donna says she's watching it online, so you should try there. You'd love it.
I like the premise of Jenny Gardner's latest, Slim To None. The heroine is a food critic who has put on some serious pounds all in the name of her work. When her identity is outed, her size makes it impossible to go back to being anonymous and her boss insists she lose weight to keep her job.
I believe it's more Women's Fiction, but this heroine definitely sounds like a woman with whom I can relate.
http://www.jennygardiner.net/
Irish - That's why I'm so confused! Kiddo can put songs on her iPod Touch without my help and then those songs eventually end up in my iPod too. Which is why I have the Beibster. But I can't imagine her listening to anything in Spanish either.
It's a mystery!
Maybe it was a joke? Spanish...hmmm, Spanish speaking aliens from the planet LaBamba are infiltrating everyone's ipods...
Oh, we're not doing a new story yet... Food... I think that food critic theme was used in a Lifetime movie? Or was that a fitness guru who was outed as someone not terribly fit?
Hey, I'm not setting food in Donna's cabin, she's running out of coffee and I just had some so she might rip my head off and try to take it directly from me... She is Sin's twin, so I don't put it past her!
Sorry gals, I had to wrangle the offspring.
I like the plot about the cannibalistic mushrooms. I might try to work that into my next historical.
And Somerset is a bit north of me. Like an hour and a half (or two, depending on traffic) north. I live pretty far south. But the Steampunk fair looks fun.
Janga - I might check out the Nerdy History girl blog. I have such a hard time keeping up with all the cool stuff going on these days.....
And it sounds like there's lots of food in TLWH. Yum... barbeque and lemonade....
Irish - Your son sounds like a trip. I had a cousin who put tape inside the salt shaker at his house because my aunt was having high blood pressure. So she'd shake the shaker over her food and not notice there wasn't any salt. It went on for a month. :) I think I'd notice though. I love salt.
Bosun - maybe she's broadening her listening horizons. ?
Morning, Chance - You're right to be wary of Donna. She's running low on coffee and half and half. Things are going to get hairy around here if she doesn't get out of the house pronto.
i think any kid who puts justin bieber on his mum's ipod should walk the plank...along with justin bieber. just sayin...
Ooooh! I bet the kraken might like that young man, bet he's nice an juicy...and such a favor to parents everywhere!
*stumbles in*
Sorry, I was writing -- another 1500 words, for a grand total of 2500 today. And I never got that 2nd cup of coffee. Now I really need it!
The snow is coming off the roof like an avalanche. LOL It's coming up past the bottom of the windows now. Oy. I'm really gonna have cabin fever pretty soon.
I've gotten good at skipping over him. Everytime I think "Who is this chick singing a goofy song?", I know it's him. SKIP.
Donna - A friend of mine is scheduled to fly into your area on Sunday and then drive to some nearby town. I've tried to warn her she should reschedule because of all the snow. Any word on how it's supposed to be this weekend?
Everytime I think “Who is this chick singing a goofy song?”, I know it’s him. SKIP.
*LOL*
Still, Leslie's right. The kid and Bieber should both walk the plank.
Ter, I heard it was supposed to be "subzero" temps again on Sunday, but it looks like it's just going to get down to 2 degrees (per weather.com)
They are also forecasting snow flurries tomorrow, and snow on Saturday, so it may affect flights on Sunday.
If I had a choice, I'd try someplace warmer. LOL
To be fair, Kiddo also loves George Strait and Nickelback. So she can stay. But I'm all for shoving the pint-sized popster down the plank.
I told her, Donna. If they try to make this trip, they're just nuts.
A lot of the guys at my company travel to work on military vessels and right now it seems the only places they can work are California and Florida. It's too cold and snowy everywhere else.
It's always cold and snowy here in the winter. That's to be expected. BUT we've gotten a whole winter's worth of snow in the past ten days. And I haven't ever seen it get down to minus 9 in the 14 years I've been here.
I just took a pic of the snow outside my kitchen window. I'll see if I can post it to the loop later. I just wish I could store this snow until we really need it in August. LOL
Maybe you and your neighbors can rally together and swap supplies, Donnaroo!
We're pushing 40 with sunshine and no snow anywhere.
Just sayin'...
I'm living in an igloo.
You need to find a hottie to rub noses with. :)
Or whatever...
Soup. Donna, ya needs hot soup. A hottie with hot soup.
soup is not sexy. it dribbles down your chin. you have to eat something sexy with a hottie.
How about sticky buns?
Thanks, wenches, for all your lovely ideas. You are going to turn my igloo into a houseboat!
Oh, come on! Soup can be sexy...spoon fed by your personal hottie, lips around a spoon...oh, soup can be sexy...
We’re pushing 40 with sunshine and no snow anywhere.
Okay, I'd usually consider that a bit on the chilly side (I'm more comfortable in 80's and up), but I'd take anything I could get at this point! This is turning into one freeze-your-arse off winter! And I also think it's pretty cruel of you (and Chancey) to constantly rub our nose in your heatwaves!
How else am I going to get my friends to move closer??
Don't think I'm not tempted!
I've been consuming mass quantities of Vitamin D over the past 6 months to get my levels up to normal. I need some sunshine pronto!
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