My sister Susan, requested this recipe. I intended to copy paste and send it to her, but discovered it wasn't in my documents! Yikes! 

So, here it is!

Enjoy!

Mags

Mom’s Potato Casserole

 

12 medium russet potatoes (4 lbs.), peeled and cubed

½ cup butter (1 stick), room temperature

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature, cut into pieces

8 oz. sour cream, room temperature

2 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. paprika

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil potatoes, drain, then mash.

Melt butter in same pan that boiled potatoes over low heat. Add cream cheese. Remove pan from heat. Beat with wooden spoon until mixture is smooth. Add mashed potatoes to butter mixture. Add sour cream, salt and pepper. Beat until smooth. Taste for flavor.

Spread evenly in greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish (I use a glass Pyrex pan) or any other shallow 2.5-quart casserole pan. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 350 for 35 min.

Tips & Tricks:

·         Cube potatoes to the same size. If the potatoes are smaller, they will cook more evenly and quicker.

·         Instead of just mashing, use a potato ricer (like a sieve with small holes the potato is squished through).

·         Have the cream cheese and sour cream at room temperature. It will incorporate with the hot potatoes better and smoother.

·         Sometimes I use white pepper instead of black pepper as it seems to be a bit more ‘peppery bite’ and you don’t have the black specks dotting the potatoes.

·         Can be made ahead and refrigerated. Take potatoes out of refrigerator 2+ hours prior to baking.

·         When they have been refrigerated, place pan in cold oven so the glass pan will slowly heat up along with the potatoes.

Weighty Wednesday -- Thanksgiving Prepping

Yeah! One more week until Turkey day!

All that yummy turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauces, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, etc, etc.

And don't forget about the beverages: wine, beer, cocktails

Ooooo and desserts . . . notice the "S"?

Yay . . .

Or not.

Yesterday at Weight Watchers we took a plate and figured out how much a small serving size was for the various items and then calculated out points . . .  OUCH!

Look, I didn't even add more than a couple of tablespoons of each virtual food item and it added up to more than my daily totals.

And the sad thing about this was I hadn't even calculated any desserts. Yeah.

So, the good news -- Most of us tend to be very traditional with Thanksgiving. We know exactly what everyone is bringing to the meal, which means you can PRE-PLAN.

Over this next week, everyone who wants to lose weight during Thanksgiving week should be measuring and weighing your food like nobody's business.

Why?

To develop your eye if you don't want to whip out your measuring cups at Grandma's house.

Don't forget to pre-calculate your points. Decide what amounts you want to eat of each food item and look it up ahead of time. That way you can decide if you really want a quarter cup of something or just a taste.

If you plan on having an adult beverage. Calculate it into the equation first. You might change your mind about that glass, or three, of wine.

Realize that plates tend to be huge compared to their counterparts in the past. In other words, my every day Dansk plates are 10 1/2 inches in diameter, whereas my grandmother's china is about 7 1/2 inches in diameter. You might have your food touching on your grandmother's plate, but if you do that on a larger plate, you will be eating at least 2 meals worth of food, without going back for seconds!

Make islands, not continents out of your food. Don't let the individual items touch.

Drink a glass of water before you sit down to eat.

Don't starve yourself to 'safe' your weekly points for a binge-fest, and then gorge on everything. Plan to use those points, but they will disappear faster than you expect! This is why you need to think about what you want to eat and plan for it!

Savor the foods you choose to eat. Take time to enjoy the nuances of the flavors. Appreciate the time your family member took to make the item or meal. Chew longer, talk more, and when you've tried a little of everything -- STOP EATING! It's okay to leave a little food on your plate. If someone hassles you about it--lie. Tell them you're saving room for dessert.

And if Aunt Gertrude insists that you try some of her Jello experiment, taste a little or simply tell her, "No thanks. I have more than enough to eat."

So, in other words, visualize your response to the questions, prompts and various blackmail family members will use to get you to eat.

Again, everything is about pre-planning. Not just what you want to eat and the portion size, but your response to those who want you to try something you hadn't planned on eating.

Good luck!

Later, Peeps!

Downloading the Camera

Last week sometime I downloaded the good camera, as opposed to the cell phone camera or the kidlet's Nikon "Snap-n-Go" Camera.

This is the camera that we usually forget to take with us because it's big, bulky, and it makes it hard to ride rides camera.

And I discovered some interesting pictures on it.

My kidlet's 12th Birthday--ready to eat out at Flemings Steakhouse.

Thanksgiving

Kidlet reading to her second cousin, Olivia

In my traditional location, making gravy

My nephew Matthieu who made the desserts under my watchful eye.



Christmas





 Just down the stairs

I had bought these fuzzy penguin jammies for the kidlet, unbeknownst to me, she also bought a set for me!

 

 

The kidlet in her favorite location!

 

 

And now we fast forward eight months . . . to CANADA

 

 Canada's highway from Calgary into Banff National Park

 

 Lake Louise.

Lake Louise, chilly mornings warm afternoons

 

Moraine Lake

The crowd level in Banff National Park was HUGE. Gorgeous weather plus a three-day Canadian weekend, plus the last weekend before school started equaled monstrous crowds. The previous day they had Moraine Lake road blocked off and people were parking on both sides of the little two-lane road that led from Canada's highway up to Chateau Lake Louise. 

 This picture doesn't do justice to the crowds. A very nice man took our picture.

 Because everyone should have a picture of a yellow mushroom

and moss growing on a tree stump.

 

A pretty little creek

 

 

Johnston Canyon

 I think this was the lower falls, though we hiked to the upper falls, their were a few inconsiderate people taking photo after photo after photo of the falls . . . while a HUGE line (20+ people) built up on the narrow catwalk

Walking down from the Upper Falls in Johnston Canyon

 

Banff

We stayed here. Not my picture, but the sun was better than the one I took. The angle of the sun washed everything out. 

 Waldhaus Restaurant and Pub. We ate our first poutine at this pub. Yummy! Poutine is French fries, cheese curds with gravy. We also had bratwurst on ours.

 Climbing Tunnel Mountain. This mountain is right in the middle of the town of Banff. It's a relatively quick climb with some amazing views.

Tunnel mountain view of Banff Springs Hotel

 

 See? I actually got the hubs to climb up to the top with me!

 

View of the golf course and I think this is Spray River.

 

Hoodoos--A side trip

 

 These next few pictures are from the marsh trail near the Cave and Basin National Park.

We took only a couple of pictures because every time you stopped mosquitos attacked . . . marsh, yanno.

 The 'basin' in the Cave and Basin Park. People used to come up here for the medicinal heated water.

 Let's just say that it's very aromatic, reminding you of what Hell would smell like, very sulfuric.

While hubs was at his meetings, I hiked a few places alone. I did hike the Spray River Trail, but it was very flat, very boring, and very secluded. I didn't have a bear bell or bear spray, so I cut my hike short when I started to feel a little too isolated. That day I only hiked six miles.

The day I hiked Sulfur Mountain, I managed 10 miles. My Weight Watchers ActivLink didn't award me very many points because I wasn't walking fast enough . . . stupid thing can't calculate VERTICAL miles. Yeah, I was walking slow because I was walking up 2300 feet!

 

Sulfur Mountain

 Info and warning about elk and bears

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proof that I actually WALKED up the mountain as opposed to riding the gondola

 Gondola coming up the mountain. Light tannish building is the gondola station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Pretty changing colors the higher I climbed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting gnarled tree roots, and deer chewed tree trunk. 

 

 

A typical cut-back in the trail. It doesn't show how loose and uneven the trail really is. Easy to climb, but I slipped about four times on the way down.  

 At the top. Bow River Valley

 Proof that I was there. To the left of Bow River is Tunnel Mountain with the Banff Springs Hotel near the base. That was the starting point of my walk up Sulfur Mountain. Tunnel Mountain seemed like a tough climb, but this vantage point makes it seem like a pimple of a hill!

Wildest animal in the wilderness . . . a chipmunk.

Gorgeous waterfall. I took a picture of a really nice couple at this point.

 

 

And that's about it for today!

 

Later, Peeps!  



Weighty Wednesday -- Sizing it up

Before I get started on today's blog, I want to shout out that I finally reached my 50 POUND LOSS metal at Weight Watchers!!!! WhooHoo!! It's been a slow journey, but I'd never trade anything about it. I've learned so much about myself during this process. I've made new friends who have shared this journey with me while they are on one of their own. And I've succeeded while eating 'normal' food. 99% of the time I refuse to 'skinny-up' a recipe, I've learned to adjust my portions and eat better choices the rest of the time.

Here's another note that might clarify some things which might be confusing. Yes, I reached my Weight Watcher's goal in July. My goal was the number at the top of my weight range--132. Just because I reached and maintained that goal for 6 weeks doesn't mean I can't lose a little more weight. . . as long as I don't drop below the lowest number on my range--106. I haven't been 106 since Middle School, so that isn't happening! To reach my 50 pound loss mark, I had to weigh--127.2. Yesterday I was right on the money . . . with light-weight clothes. :-) I wanted to reach this goal by Thanksgiving. And just because I reached it, it doesn't mean my weight won't continue to fluctuate as I gently lose weight for my next goal--the weight on my driver's license -- 120 -- which has been erroneous pretty much since I originally got my driver's license 33 years ago!  I would like to reach this goal by my next birthday, August 29th. I'll be 52. If I don't reach it, I'm good because I'm happy to be at my current weight.

Which brings me to today's topic--sizes.

Jody made a comment last week wondering why I haven't addressed the issues of clothing sizes. Well, I am today.

In case you've wondered, clothing sizes are now larger--easily two sizes larger. What used to be a size 8 is now a size 4 or 6.

If you enjoy shopping--I don't. All the getting undressed/dressed is irritating--you'll discover certain brands or styles will fit your body type better than other brands. For example, many Gloria Vanderbilt jeans won't fit me because they tend to have skinnier pant leg than Lee jeans. Though I have thinned out my thighs, I can't get around the genetics of the issue--I have heavily muscled thighs. Period. It is what it is.

While manufacturers have their particular style they make, they have also been 'biggie' sizing the clothes. As we all know, America has gotten bigger, fatter, so manufacturers have followed the trend and have made their clothes larger. Across the board, pant sizes are two sizes larger even though the size number remains the same.

-- I won't comment on shirts because I almost always have to wear a medium shirt due to my broad shoulders and don't know if those sizes have changed much. I do know that the styles are boxier than I personally care for. Heck, I've lost all this weight and I want to show off my curves. 

Twenty years ago when I weighed the same weight and my measurments were roughly the save, except my natural waist has gotten thicker--2 inches larger, probably due to age and pregnancy--I wore a size 8 jean.

Today I'm having to shop for size 4 jeans, and have been having a heck of a time finding a size to fit!
And let me just say that I am NOT a skinny Minny. I can still pinch more than an inch around my waist, and my hips are still 36 inches! I can wear a size 6 jean, but after 10 minutes on my body, I have to find a belt or I can yank them down without unzipping them!

Which is to say that I don't know how Jody finds any clothes to wear! Since I hate shopping my normal go-to places are Sam's Club, Wal-Mart and Target. Well, they don't have size 4's. If they do, they are sold as soon as they arrive.

Which brings me to the moral of this blog--don't get fixated on a number--clothing or weight.

In my closet, I have clothes that run the gamut of sizes that fit me. Anything from a small womens to an extra large juniors. I have size 6 shorts that I have sewn in an inch or more to fit me. I also have pants that I have safety pinned an inch off the zipper--if I wear a shirt over it who's to know? Well, you do, so I'll just have to kill you if you tell on me!

Time to put my homemade cinnamon rolls in the oven, because today is my baby boo's birthday. The Kidlet turns 12. Wow! Hard to believe it's been that long.

Later, Peeps!

And have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving to all the peeps who celebrate. I have many desserts to make today, but my nephew is coming over to help! Yay!

Foodie Friday -- Cranberry Jelly

Every November, my mom makes cranberry jelly.

It's like the stuff you can buy in the cans, only better.

This year, her eyesight is starting to go--the woman is 91, so give her a break!--so I made the batch, well, actually three batches because my brother went to Sam's Club and bought a 3 pound bag for Mom. I suppose I'll be the designated cranberry jelly maker from now on. I'm good with that . . . as long as I get her antique chinois.

What is a chinois?

This is a chinois. Though my mom's is at least 60+ years old, probably older, bigger than this and it has its own pedestal.

This recipe is super easy. And if you don't get into the canning thing, then you can eat it immediately, or you can do what my mom does and pour melted paraffin wax over the cooled jelly. 

Cranberry Jelly

1 lb fresh cranberries
1 cup water
2 cups sugar

Rinse cranberries and place in medium saucepan, add water and boil until all the cranberries pop, about 3-5 minutes. Pour cranberries into chinois or conical colander. Press liquids/soften fruit from skin. Return the thick juice to saucepan, add sugar. Stir and bring to boil. Boil 1-2 minutes. Pour mixture into prepared jars. Let cool. Use immediately or seal according to canning instructions. 


Hints & Suggestions:

• Here's the dealio--Ocean Spray doesn't sell 1 lb bags of cranberries in the grocery store any longer. They are 12 ounces. Simply recalculate the recipe.  12 oz. cranberries, 3/4 cup water, 1 1/2 sugar. Easy-peasy.
• Cranberries contain a natural pectin, which allows the product to gel without the aid of an unsweetened gelatin product, like Knox Gelatin.
• If you don't have a chinois, then you can use mesh strainer or a large weave cheesecloth to smush the guts out of the cranberry skins.
• Cranberries stain everything. You have been warned.
• One pound of cranberries makes about 4 6-oz. jelly jars in this recipe.
• If you want to make it a sauce with the cranberry skins, then skip the smushing stage. Add everything into the pot and cook about 10 minutes.
• To change the flavor profile, you can add orange juice or cranberry juice instead of water, or use maple sugar or honey to sweeten, or zest an orange. Always taste for tartness and sweetness levels that you enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Holidaze

If you live in America, then you'll know that the season for holidays has taken off with Halloween. We'll have Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day, Marti Gras and Easter before it's all over this winter season, and that's not even counting the family get-togethers and parties. And an added one of my daughter's birthday the day before Thanksgiving!

But if you're like me, you will know that the holidays, and subsequent eating challenges, started in September when Halloween candy blorped up in it's own little section of various stores. And candy, my personal nemesis, will continue to taunt me throughout the holiday . . . candy . . . season.

Yesterday, I did a little grocery shopping, and yes, I did manage to find my way into the 50% off Halloween aisle. Other than a couple of cute Halloween earring stocking stuffers, I did cave and bought a bag of Halloween mix. You know, the kind that has candy corn, chocolate candy corn and pumpkins in it.

I've hidden it from the rest of the family.

And yes, I've opened it and and almost demolished the entire bag.

Hey, though I'm at my goal weight, I still face the same challenges you do!

I'll just put a check mark in the "not a good healthy eating day" column and move on with my life.

The interesting part of my candy habits is that I've started making filled chocolates. This candy is for those who won Brenda Novak's For The Cure auction last May. I sent notes to all winners and postponed making the candy until the weather became cooler. I didn't want them to end up with a puddle of chocolate in the mail. Anyhoo, I don't eat my candy. Oh, I'll sample my flavors, or cut one open to see how it set up, but I don't crave it. I think it's because I'm exposed to it for hours on end.

Back on track, my point is holidays happen. Parties happen. Cook-outs and BBQ's happen. We simply have to find the way to deal with life and everything it throws at us. And eating a second or third serving of turkey, dressing and mashed potatoes isn't it.

Though the holiday is only one day, let's be real, it actually lasts much, much longer. We spend time thinking about the meal, shopping for the food, making the food, eating the meal and then have to deal with the leftovers.

There are a few tricks in my bag to survive the season. Here are some of mine--they should be looking very familiar by now:

• Plan, plan, plan. Take the time and jot down on a calendar your party schedule, family get-togethers, and work shindigs. The more you know, the better you can plan your meals.
• Drink lots of water. Seriously. So many times we tend to get dehydrated from the cooler weather outside and the heat inside. Plus the more you fill up on water, the less you want to snack on the nummies Bobby Sue brought. If you start trolling for food at work, take a detour to rehydrate first. And stay away or limit your alcoholic beverages. When one imbibes you tend to lose your inhibitions about eating . . . along with other inhibitions, but this is a G-rated blog so I won't get into that.
• Think Power foods. Lean meats. Whole grains. Fruits and veggies. Fill up on those items and you'll be less likely to grab the refined sugar/flour treats. It doesn't mean you can't eat them, but do you really want to eat them?
• Portion control. Take the time at home and re-familiarize yourself with correct portions sizes. How much a 1/2 cup of something really looks like, or how big a 3 oz. portion of turkey really is. Yes, you can have a piece of pecan pie, but do you really want to eat all of it, or just a taste or two? I usually nibble off my hubby's dessert plate or take a very thin sliver of something just to experience the taste.

Notice how I always go back to the basics of Weight Watchers when I'm faced with challenges?

It's because it works. If I have a bad meal or day, I know I can go right back to basics to get my body back on track. I have the knowledge to be successful during this stressful season . . . and so do you if you've been an avid reader of my blog for any length of time.

Later, Peeps!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Sweet Potatos with Pecan Topping

This recipe has become a Thanksgiving tradition with my family, instead of sweet potato with marshmallows on top. Now, I can’t take credit for this one as my sister, Carolyn, was the one who instigated this recipe into our traditions, and now, my brother Jim has taken over the preparation since C isn’t able to visit as much as she had in the past (the logistics of living in Michigan vs. Texas). The recipe was originally from a cookbook called BEST OF THE BEST FROM TEXAS.

I have never made this recipe so tweak it as necessary. And yes, I do believe that this recipe is at least tripled for our family gathering! But just looking at it, I would be tempted to add some ground spices to the sweet potatoes (nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon) and richen it by using half-and-half instead of the milk (since I don’t buy whole milk).  If you do make adjustments, then sample mixture PRIOR to adding the raw eggs.

Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Topping

3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed

¼ cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp salt

TOPPING:

1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
3 Tbls flour
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup coconut, optional (the family had never prepared it with coconut)

Mix mashed sweet potatoes, milk, butter, vanilla, eggs and salt. Spoon into a 1 ½ quart oiled casserole.  

Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Bake at 375° degrees F. for 25 minutes.

Serves 6.

Enjoy!

Weighty Wednesday--Lab Results

Happy Wednesday! Happy Day Before Thanksgiving!

So . . . how is your weight loss progressing? Have you figured out your plan for the holiday?

Well, I'm brimming with good news . . . but that will wait for a minute until I tell you that last week I had a physical. It had been three years since I had seen my general practitioner and now that I'm 50, I decided that I needed to have some baseline blood work.

My blood pressure went from 130/84, before I joined Weight Watchers in June, to 124/72. It isn't the best that it has ever been, but it's dropping which is what I wanted to see. A few days later I received a letter from my doctor. He didn't share my lab results with me, except for the lipid panel. Suffice it to say that I'm NORMAL!! YAY!!

So, what's my good news?

Though I thought I was sabotaging myself, I still did enough good things to make a negative number. This last week, I lost 1.6 lbs. . .

for a total weight loss of 35.0 pounds!!

I still have around 15 pounds to lose, but I'm happy dancing with my progress!

*drink lots of water
*watch your portions
*if you don't like it, don't eat it
*fill your 1/2 your plate with leafy green veggies (no, green bean casserole doesn't count!)
*eat slowly, and when you feel full--STOP EATING!
*dump the food left on your plate down the disposal, or cover with napkin

Good luck!
Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday--Turkey day, are you prepared?

Slight weight gain this last week-- +0.2 lbs. Not much to worry about. Shoot, I could have had an extra gulp of water before I walked into weigh-in. Considering I made a bunch of candy filling, I think that this tiny increase is okay.

My weight loss total since June 19th is 33.4 pounds!

But this next week will be seriously challenging. It's Thanksgiving.

For my international visitors, a week from Thursday will be our Thanksgiving Day. It's a day we celebrate enjoying family and friends over food . . . lots and lots of calorie-packed food.

To make matters worse, my SIL, Margie, and I usually cook the desserts and appetizers. We thoroughly enjoy the planning and making the food, as there is usually a lot of wine and laughter to go along with all the hard work.

So how do we deal with this holiday?

I asked this of my WW leader, she said, "It's a holiDAY, not a holiWEEK."

Now the semantics are all fine and dandy, but that doesn't deal with my daughter's sleepover birthday party (pizza and ice cream cake), family staying and eating with you, a family birthday party get-together (lasagna and more cake) or cooking and taste testing the various food products (cakes, tarts, tortes, etc, etc), or the leftover issues.

So what to do?

Do I go into this (it starts this Friday, which is why I'm thinking ahead!) with the intentions of losing weight, staying the same or be happy if I have a slight gain?

I think I'm going to be happy to stay the same.

I don't want to gain weight, which means I'll be drinking HUGE quantities of water, eating copious amounts of leafy green veg, AND walking every day . . . sometimes twice a day.

Pre-Thanksgiving, I'll be verifying the 'serving sizes' I intend to eat. But remember to keep this in mind:
If I don't want something, I won't get it.
If I don't like it, I won't finish it.
If I'm happy eating one bite, then that's all I'll eat.
I will be sampling all the desserts, but I'll be eating ONE bite from my hubster's plate.

There! It's in writing, now it's there to make me accountable.

If you have a challenging situation in your near future, what is your plan to deal with it? Do you even have a plan?

Later, Peeps!

Baking Time!

Since the writing world has been depressing me so much, I decided to start baking again. The weather is cooler and it just feels right. Plus, I wanted to do mini-desserts for Thanksgiving and I'm not about to experiment this year.

So I baked two pecan things yesterday. Neither one of them was very good. They were okay, but not holiday worthy.

1) mini pecan pies--I actually had to roll out the crust for this one. I didn't over work it and it was nice and buttery, but in my mini cupcake pan it was simply too much crust for the filling. And the filling was NOT good. I followed the recipe, but it simply didn't get caramelly enough. I knew this before I filled the little crusts, but I followed the recipe anyway. I should have gone with my gut and started over.
--Sampled one, er, two, but the rest went to work with hubby. I'll rethink how I deal with this.

2) Chocolate pecan tart--Chocolate crumb crust does NOT work well in mini tart pans. Next time, I'll press it out and bake it for about 5 minutes and then CUT little round bottoms to fit in the mini muffin holes. Opted to bake it in a 9-in square tart pan. The filling was more caramelly, but when I added the chocolate it became too chocolatey. Ate a piece. It was okay, too. I need to think out my approach prior to baking next time.
--the rest of the tart is at work with hubby.

Both recipes failed. But I have time to 'fix' them.

Today, I'll try a couple of non-bake things. One is a pumpkin cheesecake with eggs in it. I'll experiment with 1) microwaving the filling, and 2) cooking it on the stovetop, instead of baking.

I'll let you know how it works.

Later, Peeps!

Take a deep breath, and be thankful . . .

The holiday season has arrived.  In America, it starts with Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November.  There are so many things to be thankful for, but I will simply wish good health to everyone. 

December is a huge holiday month for so many religions that I can't name them all, but I wish good will to any and all. 

This time of year we tend to live in our own little sphere and forget about others.  Try to keep your temper roped in when you encounter long lines, serious traffic tie-ups, poor customer service, etc.  A little love and happiness goes a long way, so remember not to snap at the poor slob just trying to do his job.  Allow extra time and don't wait until the last minute . . .

After all, your kids don't have to have the next Zhu Zhu pet or Fushegie ball, instead they simply want to spend time with you.

Love and Happiness.
Write On!

Playing to your Strengths

This next week will be busy with birthdays, family visiting, cooking and the overall Thanksgiving cheerfulness.  I'll try to post on my usual days, but don't hold your breath--you'll only pass out.

I LOVE having my family staying with us.  My SIL Margie and I have a great relationship, but one thing that makes our relationship work is that we know each other's strengths and weaknesses.  Over the past--gosh, I don't know HOW many years we've been doing this, let's just say--20+ years, we've been cooking desserts and appetizers for Thanksgiving.  Once Marge reacquaints herself with my kitchen, then we go to town, picking recipes, writing up lists and cooking. . . and drinking wine . . . lots and lots of wine. 

We tend to work together on many recipes.  I'll start one, but she'll finish it, and vice versa.  But if there is any sort of crust to be rolled out--I make her do it.  I suck at rolling out pie dough.  I know it.  I embrace the fact. So Margie does the dough.  She's not too fond of making caramel.  Watching and swirling sugar is paramount to watching paint dry on the wall, but I enjoy it.  It takes forever for sugar to get to the caramel stage, but once it starts browning you have to keep a close eye on it, otherwise it will burn.

In other words, we play to our strengths.

The same goes for writing.  If you excel at sensual love scenes, then you need to gear your writing in that direction.  If you are mentally (*raises hand* I am!) at the sixth grade level, then write middle grade stories.  If you like goofy, write goofy.  Write to your strengths. 

I've heard numerous times that writers need to write outside the box, or push past your comfort zone. 

Why?

Why set yourself up for failure?  You know you aren't comfortable with X, Y, or Z, why force yourself to write something that you don't like?  Especially if you are just starting down the writing path.  That's insane.

Get comfortable with WHO you are as a writer FIRST, then push your boundaries. It may take you one book or ten to get to that point, or you may not even care to push through. 

In MG and YA, dystopian, end-of-the-world is big.  So many debut writers are selling this stuff right now.  Will I write it?  NO.  I don't like reading that stuff and I'm sure as shooting not going to write it!

Readers aren't stupid. They sense within the words when you don't write your passion.  The story is flat, lifeless.  If you don't love it, so why should they?

Write to your strengths, then branch out after you know who you are as a writer.

Write on!