Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Burnt Oatmeal

Yesterday morning I burned the oatmeal. This is not a new occurrence. Rather it is the norm. My friend Jane and the house hunk don't even find it a subject worth discussing as I always burn the oatmeal. You might ask why make oatmeal if you always burn it? Because I need to eat oatmeal. There's always enough unburned oatmeal to satisfy my needs.



Why does it burn? Mostly because I have too many things going on at one time. I set the timer and then immerse my concentration on some other project to the extent that I don't hear the timer. It burns. I scrape off the top layer and put the pot in the sink to soak. And move on.



Life is pretty full of burnt oatmeal. All those wrong turns and bad choices we make in life have consequences. How we handle the inevitable consequences determines what our life is like. We can wail and gnash our teeth and cry over our burnt oatmeal. We can beat ourselves up or blame some one else for calling us on the phone while our oatmeal was cooking. But the truth is that none of those things really address the fact that we still have burnt oatmeal.



Or we can salvage what we can, put the pan to soak, and move on. There will likely be a lot of pans of burnt oatmeal in our lives. If I waste time obsessing about the burnt oatmeal, that's time I've lost forever. Time I could have put to more constructive use. Oh yeah, and while I'm moaning and groaning the salvaged oatmeal is getting cold. Who wants to eat cold oatmeal?



There are things I can do to "pretty up" my oatmeal. I can add nuts, raisens, peanut butter, brown sugar, nutella, or cream. All of those make the oatmeal more palatable. And unless I tell someone, they'll never know that I burned the oatmeal. See? Life is what you make it--even burnt oatmeal.

Anny

Only three more days for the February Scavenger Hunt at http://www.annycook.com/ Check out the Contest Box on page two for the rules and clues. The prize is a free e-copy of any of my current releases.



Isn't that a pretty book cover? I'm so pleased to announce that Dancer's Delight is now available in print from the Cerridwen Press. If you're just dying to get your hands on a copy, you can order it from http://www.jasminejade.com/p-3932-dancers-delight.aspx?skinid=13 for $5.99! Now that's a bargain for sure!

The cover gods at Ellora's Cave sent me the cover for Kama Sutra Lovers today. I can't show it off, but once it's approved by the powers that be, then I'll post it on the right side with the rest of my covers. I've been very, very lucky with some lovely covers.


It doesn't seem possible that it's only four more days until March. The year is flying by with unusual speed, isn't it? In April, I'll be at the Romantic Times Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The exciting part is that I'll be taking part in the e-book signing on Wednesday, April 16th and also the print book signing on Saturday, April 19th. I hope to see some of you there! For more information, see my webpage or the RT Convention site.


Finally, I want to urge you to stop by Amarinda's Place at http://www.amarindajones.blogspot.com/ and Kelly's Blog at http://www.kkirch.blogspot.com/ They start my day every morning with their wit, humor, and insightful observations. Don't miss out! Blessings on your day!

13 comments:

  1. Kelly had conspiracy theories and you have burnt oatmeal..must I be the only normal one?

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  2. Well, AJ,you're the wit and humor Anny referenced. I have to do something to keep up with you two.

    Anny, I'm getting my autographed copy of Dancer from you at RT. Can't wait!!

    Oh and to anyone else who's going to RT, my book Marriage Mart by RP will be out in hardcopy by then and I'll be signing it too. The digital release is March 11.

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  3. I always burn pancakes... I'm a good cook, but the worst pancake maker in the world. There never charred, but they are a little well-done. But you know the cool thing? If you flip them on the plate, and no one really knows.

    It's sorta like oatmeal doctoring...

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  4. Not my pancakes! They're burned beyond belief. That's why my oldest is the Cheif Pancake Maker in our family:)

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  5. I don't burn oatmeal but I have a difficult time with the consistency. I don't like it runny but I have a hard time making it firm without making it like cement. I finally gave up and now I use the packets of instant oatmeal.

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  6. Anny, as I recall, you're pretty good with burnt grilled cheese too. But who's counting? There's always McD's.

    Jane

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  7. It really is what you do with oatmeal. Thanks for the Wednesday Wisdom, Anny. :)

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  8. Anny, is this blog about you or me?? I always put the timer on and don't hear it from my office. I threw countless pots in my life, but I don't even pay attention. What's a pot compare to the inspiration of the moment? I don't eat the burnt stuff. I throw it and start again.

    I wish I could go to RT and meet you all, especially if my friend Helen Taylor wins the RT American Title contest. Please vote for her.

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  9. Only you could turn burnt oatmeal into a life lesson that makes perfect sense. I love that you always make me think.

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  10. Burnt oatmeal is a good life analogy, Anny:) You know I hadn't had oatmeal in probably 30 years, then I got sick on my bday woke up about the 3rd day craving it and I've been eating it daily ever since. Weird huh? By the way, I microwave mine, so burning it is a non issue:)

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  11. Yep, life is what we make it. Some days it's easier to eat the burned oatmeal than others. But I'm trying to make good out of the bad. I like your attitude.

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  12. Oatmeal...hmmm...I think I know what I'm eating tomorrow for breakfast. I can, by the way solve your problem. Instant Oatmeal. Boil water and you have hot water for tea and your oatmeal. My dad always said, work smart, not hard.

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  13. Excellent advice--for life and oatmeal. :-)

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