Thursday, July 24, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Ever Cyberstalk Yourself?
I Google searched my novel And This Too A Modern Fable and found some reviews on my short story A Weekend with Friends. Being who I am, this made me excited because they're good and honest reviews and can be found on GoodReads, but I have to repost them here because I'm so happy.
This short story is a bit predictable, but it’s not at all a bad story. Madeline has a bit of car trouble on her way to a party with some of her friends. Without too much inconvenience she manages to get home, where the partiers are already waiting for her to arrive. But this is not quite the party her newer friends expected. Only her oldest friends know what’s in store.
If nothing else, this story will help you make up your mind, if you ever find yourself wondering whether or not to be friends with the local neighborhood psychopath. There is a good bit of violence, blood and gore in this story, which is to be expected from a horror story. Although I doubt “A Weekend with Friends” will give anybody nightmares, it probably isn’t for readers with weak stomachs, as the author points out right up front. For everybody else: check it out.
This short story is a bit predictable, but it’s not at all a bad story. Madeline has a bit of car trouble on her way to a party with some of her friends. Without too much inconvenience she manages to get home, where the partiers are already waiting for her to arrive. But this is not quite the party her newer friends expected. Only her oldest friends know what’s in store.
If nothing else, this story will help you make up your mind, if you ever find yourself wondering whether or not to be friends with the local neighborhood psychopath. There is a good bit of violence, blood and gore in this story, which is to be expected from a horror story. Although I doubt “A Weekend with Friends” will give anybody nightmares, it probably isn’t for readers with weak stomachs, as the author points out right up front. For everybody else: check it out.
wow.. So
this was a messed up story but i liked it. Very short quick read. Not
for those that get squeamish easy. Very unexpected the entire book
especially the end. The writer is very good at details and making you
feel like you are seeing it happen.
Thank you for the positive feedback on what I consider to be a half decent and immature piece! :D
Love and Light
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
My Week Away: A Brief Guide on How to Bring Real Homemade Food Backpacking, Camping or even on a Road Trip
I wish I could claim to be an expert and begin spouting scientific facts backed by precise caloric justifications. But instead of some essay with numbers and statistics, you get to hear about how some 20 year old survived her vacation. Hopefully my experience can offer some insight.
When my soulmate and I decided that we were going to take a bus from Montana to Arkansas, attend a 5 day music festival and then hop back on the bus, I was excited by the extreme challenge I was faced with. We've been making almost everything from scratch for about eight months, and our adventure to Wakarusa would be no exception.
My internet searches for an organic, all natural meal replacement bar recipe led me mostly to dead ends. I found lots of recipes, but all of them called for oats and some sort of protein powder. At the time of my research, I was having some issues with grains and didn't want to use oats in such an unstable environment. The last thing I wanted was to get sick. I also wanted to avoid the use of protein powder (although I would have gone with hemp) just because I have no idea what process the protein goes through to become a powder.
Basic Culinary Arts class taught me that protein provides more nutrients than carbohydrates. Protein also takes longer to digest, which I translate into being fuller for an extended period of time. These two facts were the only basis for the plan that I devised, and it barely worked.
I spent too much time trying to craft "bus foods", carb based super snacks for the bus ride to Arkansas. And after about 24 hours, I realized how badly I needed meat.
SO...
Here's a base list of the food I made.
-Veggie Rolls: Cinnamon Roll dough with cheese and a vegetable/seed filling (I used asparagus, garlic, hemp seed and carrot, onion, sesame seed). Delicious when fresh, however they are extremely perishable. If I wanted to use the same ingredients and take these incredible rolls backpacking, I would put the filling (cheese, veggies, seeds) in the dough.
-Cinnamon Apple Rolls: Cinnamon roll dough, shredded apple, cinnamon, hemp and sesame seeds. Again, fantastic but doesn't travel well. In order to adapt this dish for backpacking I would put the apple, spices and seeds in the dough.
-Cinnaminis: Mini cinnamon rolls. I wish I had an exact recipe, but I throw things together until the dough is the right consistency (I use sourdough instead of yeast). Let it sit overnight, roll it out, brush with an egg wash, sprinkle on spices and super seeds then bake at 350 until firm. They were super yummy and lasted the whole trip.
-Crackers: I wish I had made a few more batches of these instead of spending all that time on rolls. They're incredibly tasty, lasted the whole trip and you can add any ingredient you want to make it a super cracker.
-A basic cracker is flour, water, salt... I add a pinch of sugar and a dollop of sourdough
-Add in cheese, veggie puree, seeds/nuts to taste
-Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, depending on what you put in your crackers. I've found that crackers with sourdough take longer to bake fully than crackers without
-Failed Fruit Leather: I tried to make some fruit leather, but neither the flavor nor the texture turned out quite right so it became something that I spent time on when I could've made something better. If I had succeeded I probably would suggest that everybody who has ever considered camping should make a batch. I learned that consistency is key and that mashing soupy frozen fruit in a bowl is not the same thing as pureeing frozen fruit in a blender or food processor.
-Noodles: It was too hot in Arkansas to try and make during the festival, but we tried my homemade, organic version of ramen a week after we got back and they were amazing. The noodles would be best prepared fresh instead of prepared and dehydrated, but this is worth the effort.
-Take a basic egg noodle recipe and dehydrate the noodles. (Lowest temp on your oven is fairly sufficient, leave the oven door open for ventilation)
-Bullion Crackers: I wanted to make bullion cubes but I rushed through it and made broth crackers. You can eat them like crackers or you can crush them up a little bit and mix in boiling water to make broth.
-Skim the fat off your stock (I used chicken)
-Melt stock, add in salt, spices, salt, I ground up some dehydrated vegetables and added that, even a small pinch of wheat but that's entirely optional.
-Pour mixture on a lined baking sheet (the thinner the crisper) and bake at the lowest temp with the oven door cracked until there's no moisture left.
** Jas. Townsend and Son, Inc has a much better tutorial on how to do this. I will definitely use this method the next time I make this.18th Century Portable Soup
-Breakfast Bars: I should have spent more time and money on these delicious treats. It's possible to do with a decent knife and some dedicated rock chopping, but it won't be the same end result you would get if you threw the ingredients into a food processor. I learned that better, more nourishing carbs come from fruit as opposed to grain (painfully obvious to me now but we have to go through these experiences to learn I guess) If you want to experiment with whole foods backpacking take more fruit than grain.
-Trail mix: It's simple enough, but again, fruit is necessary. Any pleasant dry fruit is perfect. I found that without enough fruit the mix was too dry.
I researched and planned for months, only cooked for about a week and a half. We made it 36 hours on the food that I prepared, which I found impressive because at one of the bigger depots we saw an Amish family eating bus stop chicken sandwiches.
However, when we got to Fayetteville, it was time for a burger. If you are ever in Fayetteville, AR and want to eat somewhere with great food, incredible service, beautiful plating, decent prices and organic ingredients please stop by the Greenhouse Grille. We split a salad with grilled chicken and both got fat burgers with sweet potato fries. It was the best food I've had at a restaurant.
By that time I had fully realized that we didn't bring any tuna or jerky or anything. We had to buy some store brand tuna, checking the labels diligently to find something without soy. It is possible to go from organic to budget, but I wish I had planned in advance. Don't forget your meat of some kind when you're backpacking. It'll be expensive in one way or another, but it's so nourishing (unless you've figured out how to go without, you get a gold star ^-^)
We were able to buy some produce (and more tuna) in Ozark while we were at the festival, which made it easier. The night before we got back on the bus, we made a salad and found a can of organic chili.
It was on the way home that I realized more breakfast bars would've been awesome. If I could do it again, I'd be much more prepared now.
Some other things we did to prepare for our trip included eating a large, colorful veggie stir-fry the night before and eating (sharing) a decadent homemade pizza the day we got on the bus.
It's not impossible, it takes planning, and I had to take a few last minute short cuts, but preparing your own organic, wholesome foods to take on a long trip, or even a day outing is rewarding and not even that difficult if you have enough time.
When my soulmate and I decided that we were going to take a bus from Montana to Arkansas, attend a 5 day music festival and then hop back on the bus, I was excited by the extreme challenge I was faced with. We've been making almost everything from scratch for about eight months, and our adventure to Wakarusa would be no exception.
My internet searches for an organic, all natural meal replacement bar recipe led me mostly to dead ends. I found lots of recipes, but all of them called for oats and some sort of protein powder. At the time of my research, I was having some issues with grains and didn't want to use oats in such an unstable environment. The last thing I wanted was to get sick. I also wanted to avoid the use of protein powder (although I would have gone with hemp) just because I have no idea what process the protein goes through to become a powder.
Basic Culinary Arts class taught me that protein provides more nutrients than carbohydrates. Protein also takes longer to digest, which I translate into being fuller for an extended period of time. These two facts were the only basis for the plan that I devised, and it barely worked.
I spent too much time trying to craft "bus foods", carb based super snacks for the bus ride to Arkansas. And after about 24 hours, I realized how badly I needed meat.
SO...
Here's a base list of the food I made.
-Veggie Rolls: Cinnamon Roll dough with cheese and a vegetable/seed filling (I used asparagus, garlic, hemp seed and carrot, onion, sesame seed). Delicious when fresh, however they are extremely perishable. If I wanted to use the same ingredients and take these incredible rolls backpacking, I would put the filling (cheese, veggies, seeds) in the dough.
-Cinnamon Apple Rolls: Cinnamon roll dough, shredded apple, cinnamon, hemp and sesame seeds. Again, fantastic but doesn't travel well. In order to adapt this dish for backpacking I would put the apple, spices and seeds in the dough.
-Cinnaminis: Mini cinnamon rolls. I wish I had an exact recipe, but I throw things together until the dough is the right consistency (I use sourdough instead of yeast). Let it sit overnight, roll it out, brush with an egg wash, sprinkle on spices and super seeds then bake at 350 until firm. They were super yummy and lasted the whole trip.
-Crackers: I wish I had made a few more batches of these instead of spending all that time on rolls. They're incredibly tasty, lasted the whole trip and you can add any ingredient you want to make it a super cracker.
-A basic cracker is flour, water, salt... I add a pinch of sugar and a dollop of sourdough
-Add in cheese, veggie puree, seeds/nuts to taste
-Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, depending on what you put in your crackers. I've found that crackers with sourdough take longer to bake fully than crackers without
-Failed Fruit Leather: I tried to make some fruit leather, but neither the flavor nor the texture turned out quite right so it became something that I spent time on when I could've made something better. If I had succeeded I probably would suggest that everybody who has ever considered camping should make a batch. I learned that consistency is key and that mashing soupy frozen fruit in a bowl is not the same thing as pureeing frozen fruit in a blender or food processor.
-Noodles: It was too hot in Arkansas to try and make during the festival, but we tried my homemade, organic version of ramen a week after we got back and they were amazing. The noodles would be best prepared fresh instead of prepared and dehydrated, but this is worth the effort.
-Take a basic egg noodle recipe and dehydrate the noodles. (Lowest temp on your oven is fairly sufficient, leave the oven door open for ventilation)
-Bullion Crackers: I wanted to make bullion cubes but I rushed through it and made broth crackers. You can eat them like crackers or you can crush them up a little bit and mix in boiling water to make broth.
-Skim the fat off your stock (I used chicken)
-Melt stock, add in salt, spices, salt, I ground up some dehydrated vegetables and added that, even a small pinch of wheat but that's entirely optional.
-Pour mixture on a lined baking sheet (the thinner the crisper) and bake at the lowest temp with the oven door cracked until there's no moisture left.
** Jas. Townsend and Son, Inc has a much better tutorial on how to do this. I will definitely use this method the next time I make this.18th Century Portable Soup
-Breakfast Bars: I should have spent more time and money on these delicious treats. It's possible to do with a decent knife and some dedicated rock chopping, but it won't be the same end result you would get if you threw the ingredients into a food processor. I learned that better, more nourishing carbs come from fruit as opposed to grain (painfully obvious to me now but we have to go through these experiences to learn I guess) If you want to experiment with whole foods backpacking take more fruit than grain.
-Trail mix: It's simple enough, but again, fruit is necessary. Any pleasant dry fruit is perfect. I found that without enough fruit the mix was too dry.
I researched and planned for months, only cooked for about a week and a half. We made it 36 hours on the food that I prepared, which I found impressive because at one of the bigger depots we saw an Amish family eating bus stop chicken sandwiches.
However, when we got to Fayetteville, it was time for a burger. If you are ever in Fayetteville, AR and want to eat somewhere with great food, incredible service, beautiful plating, decent prices and organic ingredients please stop by the Greenhouse Grille. We split a salad with grilled chicken and both got fat burgers with sweet potato fries. It was the best food I've had at a restaurant.
By that time I had fully realized that we didn't bring any tuna or jerky or anything. We had to buy some store brand tuna, checking the labels diligently to find something without soy. It is possible to go from organic to budget, but I wish I had planned in advance. Don't forget your meat of some kind when you're backpacking. It'll be expensive in one way or another, but it's so nourishing (unless you've figured out how to go without, you get a gold star ^-^)
We were able to buy some produce (and more tuna) in Ozark while we were at the festival, which made it easier. The night before we got back on the bus, we made a salad and found a can of organic chili.
It was on the way home that I realized more breakfast bars would've been awesome. If I could do it again, I'd be much more prepared now.
Some other things we did to prepare for our trip included eating a large, colorful veggie stir-fry the night before and eating (sharing) a decadent homemade pizza the day we got on the bus.
It's not impossible, it takes planning, and I had to take a few last minute short cuts, but preparing your own organic, wholesome foods to take on a long trip, or even a day outing is rewarding and not even that difficult if you have enough time.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Coming Soon
Love and Light,
End Transmission.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Reviews! :D
So far all the reviews I've received have been positive. I'll start out by posting my favorite one.
"Hmm... this one is hard for me to review. I liked the writing, the author did an awesome job making me feel like I was there and seeing what was happening. I did get confused on the characters, they changed a lot. I am not a zombie fan and for the most part that didn't interest me but the love parts did so that cancelled out the people eating. lol I do have a lot of zombie loving friends I will recommend this book to. It was very well written :)" -Kaila
"Ms. McIntyre's first book is not to be missed. She effortlessly blends science fiction, romance and horror elements into a seamless package.
Her characters are relatable and the novel is an easy read. I couldn't put it down. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if this title gets picked up by a large publishing house. Fun stuff here." -Danielle R
""And This Too: A Modern Fable" written by Emily Owenn McIntyre was more than a Zombie Thriller. It is packed with terror, action, emotional turmoil, travel and romance. This young author has created a well written, suspense thriller with true to life characters and a multitude of events which makes you hope for a sequel. Her writing style is fast moving and yet thoughtful and mind provoking." -Laurie Wilson
"Emily McIntyre does a great job in capturing the reader attention and holding it. This story gets started and just never gives the reader a chance to get bored. Although fast paced, I still understood the plot and characters with the greatest ease. This is not a book for the easily offended. It does contain very colorful language, and paints a vivid picture of death and dying." -Elizabeth Edwards
I would love to hear what more of you think, bad or good I am still interested in your opinion, so I urge anyone who has read this book to leave a review either in the comments here or on Amazon.
Love and light
End Transmission.
"Hmm... this one is hard for me to review. I liked the writing, the author did an awesome job making me feel like I was there and seeing what was happening. I did get confused on the characters, they changed a lot. I am not a zombie fan and for the most part that didn't interest me but the love parts did so that cancelled out the people eating. lol I do have a lot of zombie loving friends I will recommend this book to. It was very well written :)" -Kaila
"Ms. McIntyre's first book is not to be missed. She effortlessly blends science fiction, romance and horror elements into a seamless package.
Her characters are relatable and the novel is an easy read. I couldn't put it down. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if this title gets picked up by a large publishing house. Fun stuff here." -Danielle R
""And This Too: A Modern Fable" written by Emily Owenn McIntyre was more than a Zombie Thriller. It is packed with terror, action, emotional turmoil, travel and romance. This young author has created a well written, suspense thriller with true to life characters and a multitude of events which makes you hope for a sequel. Her writing style is fast moving and yet thoughtful and mind provoking." -Laurie Wilson
"Emily McIntyre does a great job in capturing the reader attention and holding it. This story gets started and just never gives the reader a chance to get bored. Although fast paced, I still understood the plot and characters with the greatest ease. This is not a book for the easily offended. It does contain very colorful language, and paints a vivid picture of death and dying." -Elizabeth Edwards
I would love to hear what more of you think, bad or good I am still interested in your opinion, so I urge anyone who has read this book to leave a review either in the comments here or on Amazon.
Love and light
End Transmission.
Another Shameless Plug
One day my soulmate and I were browsing a site called reddit, and we discovered this indie film project called "Buds" about cannabis curing the zombie virus.
As a firm believer in the independent industry I decided that I'd try to get the word out as much as I can about this project. So check it out.
Love and Light
End Transmission.
As a firm believer in the independent industry I decided that I'd try to get the word out as much as I can about this project. So check it out.
Love and Light
End Transmission.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
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