#MondayBlogs

Oatmeal Your Way

February 23, 2015 by Mia Fox Leave a Comment

Everyone knows that oatmeal is good for you. It can also get a bit boring. But now, you can have oatmeal your way — delicious every day! Courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine, here are new recipe ideas for turning the every day oatmeal into extraordinary oatmeal.

For each recipe, start with 3/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil, stir in 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats and a dash of salt. Reduce heat, simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and finish with one of these toppings.

Goat Cheese and Cremini
Saute 1/2 cup of sliced cremini mushrooms and add crumbled goat cheese along with 2 tablespoons of half and half and a dash of thyme. It may sound odd for breakfast food, but it’s delicious and perfect for a brunch.

Lemon-Blueberry with Mascarpone
Stir 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon curd into oatmeal. Top with 3 tablespoons of fresh blueberries, 1 teaspoon mascarpone cheese and 2 teaspoons of sliced almonds.

Chai Spice and Pear
Saute 1/2 a pear and add 1 teaspoon of honey.Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk, 1/8 teaspoon cardamon, 1/8 teaspoon of ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon of allspice.

Sunflower Seed Butter, Banana, and Chocolate
Mash 1/2 banana with 2 tablespoons of your favorite nut butter. Add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of chocolate shavings.

Got ideas of your own? I’d love to hear about your ways to dress up oatmeal.

Your Mission: To Write

December 22, 2014 by Mia Fox Leave a Comment

If there’s one thing we all have in common at this time of year is that we are BUSY. I challenge you to accept Your Mission: To Write!

My household is probably a bit like yours at this time of year. One distracted husband, three children wanting to be distracted, and two dogs itching for us to be distracted. (The younger dog got into the mistletoe last week, which resulted into an emergency trip to the vet.)

In the midst of holiday shopping, cooking for parties, and taking care of kids who are off from school, how do you find time to write? I realized that the time isn’t going to magically appear like Santa with his sleigh. I have to make the time. Here are my top three suggestions for keeping the writing flow going even during the holidays.

1. Set a schedule

It doesn’t matter what time of day you write, just do it. Even if it’s only writing a paragraph, it will set the stage for tomorrow’s session. For me, I write first thing in the morning before the kids realize we haven’t done anything. They’re still in their p.j.s and haven’t had time to get bored, thus requiring my attention.

2. Download some tunes

Music is a great inspiration for writing. Determine a scene in your book, even if it’s a future one. Find a song that perfectly describes the mood of that scene — upbeat, melancholy, desperate, happy, angry. Listen and take notes about how you feel. Those notes are going to find a place in your writing.

3. Be observant

With so many people rushing about it’s a perfect time to watch for interesting behavior. Tired of waiting in line? Go ahead and eavesdrop. The holidays tend to bring out heightened emotions whether good or bad. We have high expectations during this time of year and that means human nature is ripe to be picked and selected as part of your next story.

Got another suggestion? I’d love to hear about it!

DIY Orange Ginger Body Scrub

December 14, 2014 by Mia Fox Leave a Comment

Looking for a clever craft to use as holiday gifts this year? Why not try a DIY Orange Ginger Body Scrub. It’s easy to make, smells great, and will leave the skin silky smooth.

Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar with 1 cup of coconut oil.

Beat in a mixer on low for about two minutes until a paste forms.

Add 1/2 cup of fresh-Squeezed orange juice and 1 1/2 tablespoons of grated ginger. Mix again just until blended through.

Find a cute tub, top with a holiday ribbon, and voila…you’ve created a spa escape for your friends and loved ones. The holidays are meant to be an enjoyable time of year so if you know of more easy holiday gifts or great family recipes, please feel free to comment and share.

Celebrate the Success-o-Meter

December 7, 2014 by Mia Fox Leave a Comment

I recently listened to another writer lament about what she felt was a sparse number of books she sold in a month’s time. It was interesting because to me, her sales seemed quite good. It made me realize that everyone has a different “success-o-meter.”

The first month that I released a book, I did just that…I released my book. No lead up to it with blog tours, no posting of quotes, no giveaways…just me hitting that “publish” button. Was it any wonder that a day and then a week, and then a month went by and only a handful of close friends knew that I had even written a book. That’s right, a year of hard work and nobody knew about it. Call me naive, but I didn’t know how much pre-marketing was needed.

So let’s fast-forward a year-and-a-half and now analyze my sales after applying knowledge I’ve gained about pre-release marketing. It’s a definite improvement and I feel a measure of success. I get a little thrill every time someone downloads my book or requests it from a contest. Still, when I think back to my colleague, whose sales triple my own, I realize that success is all about perspective.

For me having gone through months with no sales whatsoever, now when I have regular sales I feel a great sense of accomplishment and knowledge gained. I’m satisfied. This doesn’t mean that I don’t strive for more. It doesn’t mean that I don’t dream of “best seller” status as much as the next author, but I do feel that I have achieved a sense of peace and well-being that my colleague can learn from.

To me, if you are a writer and seeing an upward climb in sales, regardless of how small, that is the definition of improvement. Let’s put this into perspective. If you are teaching your child to read, do you celebrate the small victories? Every letter they remember, every time they are able to put three or even four letters together to form a word is success. You don’t expect them to read Proust in second grade and nor should you be upset if your sales aren’t best-seller status.

Remember the reason you became a writer in the first place. Take pleasure in your victories no matter how small. I’ll bet they continue to grow.

Movember is Over!

December 1, 2014 by Mia Fox Leave a Comment

Ladies…got a question for you? Can I see a show of hands for anyone who agrees we should give three cheers that Movember is Over!

I found a humorous blog article that claims, “You’ll want a mustache after seeing these manly romance novel posters.” I’ll let you all be the judge. But for me, I prefer the men in my romance novels to wake with just a bit of stubble in the morning, leading them to hit the shower and become the clean-shaven dashing man that is hidden beneath that hairy surface.

While I know that Movember was for a good cause, I was forced to endure a Thanksgiving dinner with a motley looking crew of men in various conditions of facial hair. There was my nephew who was sporting a mustache that barely graced his upper lip, but seemed to gain steam once it trickled down the sides of his mouth. Then, there was my brother-in-law with a beard that hung more around his throat then anywhere else. And my own husband, well…he outdid himself with a bit of a mustache/beard smorgasbord.

I’m glad that #Movember is gaining popularity and will hopefully be a step in the right direcction for finding cures to many of men’s health issues. But now that it’s December, I’m going to relish in the smooth look of my husband’s face.

Chocolate Love

November 24, 2014 by Mia Fox Leave a Comment

As a romance writer, I can imagine a scene in which the dashingly handsome man hand feeds his lady a bite of chocolate and then proceeds to kiss away any traces that may have marred her lower lip. Now, I’ve got even more reasons for my chocolate love.

Usually around 3 p.m. I find myself in need of a small pick-me-up. You know, that little bit of luxury that gives me the boost of energy I need so that I can go into mom-mode and become a snack making, homework helping, activity driving pixie extraordinaire. A bite of chocolate is the ticket.

It’s packed with healthy chemicals like flavonoids and theobromine, but remember to nibble on dark chocolate, which has more trans fats and less of the undesirable saturated fats.

Here’s what the doctors are saying chocolate can do for us:

Reduce the risk of heart attack
Decrease blood pressure and increase insulin sensitivity
May improve arterial blood flow
May help people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome

However, the health benefits of chocolate may disappear if you overindulge. It might mean that you are adding pounds along with flavonoids. Think of chocolate as your afternoon indulgence. A little break and a little bite go a long way. Try a two-ounce square of chocolate or about six chocolate kisses (Special Dark variety)…and don’t forget to reach for your favorite romance novel while having your bit of indulgence.

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