Looks Can Be Deceiving
7 Jul
Last night, after I got done making this salad, Bill told me it looked like dog food. And though I somewhat agreed, I was pleasantly surprised to find out it not only beautified a bit more overnight – it also tasted fantastic.
I found this salad on Cooking Light, and due to my love of beans – was excited to make it from the get-go. The only difference between theirs and mine is that I omitted tomatoes, which I do not like.
What makes this salad unique? In my opinion it’s the thyme and feta. Oh, and home-cooked lentils. That’s right – I FINALLY made dried beans, and you know what? It doesn’t take that long. About 25 minutes on the stove. No salt, no preservatives, no icky mess to rinse after emptying the can. I guess some of the Cleaner Life Month rules have stuck with me after all.
This salad was whopping, so filling and took a while to eat (which I loved). In total though, I probably only ate about 3/4 cup of lentils. Is that a lot? Hope my body doesn’t think so.
Link Love
Today I found out from Fab and Delicious Food that today is National Strawberry Sundae Day. Too bad I just picked a TON of blackberries. Rats.
How to Become a Creative Writer
Last week I talked a little more in depth about my creative writing. Alison asked an interesting question that I thought I’d answer on the blog. She wrote:
“I’d love to get into writing more. I haven’t done it much in years but used to enjoy it. Do you have any suggestions to improve creative writing skills?”
I’ve been writing seriously for probably about 5-6 years, and I’ve gotten published a few times by small journals – so I am by no means an expert. But I thought I’d throw in my two cents and what works for me.
* Read and read and read. And don’t just read books from the bestseller list. Go to your local Barnes and Noble and look through the literary journal section of the magazine. Peruse publications such as Glimmer Train, Prairie Schooner and Ninth Letter (some of my favorites). Look for online literary journals such as Hobart and Blackbird. See what’s being published today. Get familiar with the community.
* Write and write and write. I have found that routines work best for me. For example, I like to write for an hour or so a couple evenings a week. I have a friend who writes every day, probably for hours at a time (because he can). See what your schedule allows. Pencil in consistent time to write.
* Use prompts. When you first begin writing creatively it can be hard to come up with an idea. Your mind is working in a different way than usual. You can find books of writing prompts to lead you in the right direction. These prompts will help inspire stories. One of my favorite prompts was one I did in my creative writing class in graduate school. We had to list a person, a place, an object, a color and piece of dialogue. Then we had to write a short-short story using each of those words (couldn’t be more than 250 words). My piece involved a woman soaking in a bathtub full of green beans.
* Find your niche. Over time, you will notice themes emerging in your writing. For me, the idea of place and its influence became very important. I would have never thought that this would become so important to my characters and the storyline. I also found that over time, I was good at building tension. I decided to run with these ideas and pursue them further, aiming to describe better landscape and create tense situations.
* Experiment. You’d be surprised at the current form of a story or a poem. Don’t feel confined by the way stories or poetry used to be written. A list can be a story. A list can be a poem. A series of lists can be a chapbook. Think of different ways you can tell a story and go with it. Use visuals. Use a map or a blueprint. Use a complex series of numbers. The opportunities are endless.
Good luck with your writing!
yay for strawberry sundae day!
I would love to write short stories, as they’re my favorite thing to read, but I don’t know that I could do it. They seem so simple when you’re reading them, but they are extremely hard to write!
i love salads like this, even when they’re not the prettiest things around
Nick told me my pumpkin oatmeal looked like baby poop one morning so I made him try it.
That salad sounds yummy. Maybe not pretty, but the ingredients make it worth a shot.
I really like the writing tips here. I should try them, huh?
Your cooking of dried beans has inspired me to make my first ever blog comment. Try all kinds of dried beans! But be forewarned, you will not go back. I have chickpeas soaking right now to cook later. It’s such an easy process and the hands-on time is really nothing. Oh, and you can cook a whole bunch at once and freeze the cooked beans, they keep their taste & texture really well. So yay for beans!
Yay for making lentils at home! They ARE easy to do, right?
That salad looks really hearty and filling. 3/4 of a cup is a little on the high end, but I bet it kept you full til the morning!
You’ve totally embraced your clean living. Love.
I used to WRITE SO MUCH when I was younger, like in high school and middle school…now, I barely have time to do my school work writing. Although as a journalism major, I do enjoy lots of my assignments
LOL, it does look like dog food! maybe worse
I bet it’s tasty. I just bought my first bag of lentils and am excited to make them!
I love using dried beans! Although I like having both on hand in case I’m in a pinch.
Thanks for the shout out!
Great writing tips!
I think that salad looks good! Great writing tips, too