Travel Often

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” — Rosalia de Castro

Love Deeply, but Laugh Along the Way

"Happiness is only real when shared." - Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

View Marriage as an Adventure

"Love is a flower which turns into fruit at marriage." ~Finnish Proverb

Fuel your body with GOOD (It's the only one you get)

He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything. - Arabian Proverb

Open your Soul to Motherhood

A Grand Adventure is About to Begin - Winnie the Pooh

A New Kind of Love is Born

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Corn and Quinoa Salad with Chicken Sausage

A tasty, healthy summer meal
serves 4
(recipe found in Fitness Magazine, July/August 2011)
Corn and Quinoa Salad with Chicken Sausage















3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces spicy chicken sausage, cut into chunks (I used Jennie-O turkey sausage)
1 medium onion, diced
1 large or 2 small zucchini, diced
2 1/2 cups corn kernels (about 4 ears)
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1. Put the quinoa and chicken broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

2. While quinoa cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate. Add another tablespoon of oil to pan, then add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and corn and cook about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender-firm.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, remaining oil, cumin, salt and black pepper. Add quinoa, sausage, corn-zucchini mixture and bell pepper mix. Chill in the refrigerator at last 30 minutes or up to two days. When ready to serve, stir in parsley.

Note: We ate immediately (hot) and it was still delicious!

Karl's reaction: "Ohhhh, this is refreshing. Slightly sweet. I'm just going to help myself to some seconds."

My take: I will so be making this again. Yum!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Where's a Good Place to Write?

Do you have a special place you like to write?
For me, writing takes place in our dining/family room of our town home. (Yes, the walls are very bright but keep in mind Minnesota is very dark during the winter months. I need something to keep me going during the evil, cold seasons.) It's not the most ideal place but it does the trick.

My goal for us is to one day buy a house with a nice backyard, an apple tree, a wrap-around porch, a ginormous garden area, a wooded area and enough room in the house where I can have an entire office area (with a huge window) to myself. I wouldn't mind a little creek trickling in the backyard either...

Where I write in our home
Does that seem like too much to ask? Ha!

For now I must settle on sharing a "creative" room with my hubs. He does have his own man cave, but since April, his special man room is packed with boxes and stuff from his town home (our buyers close on that July 29 and we'll be down to one town home). So I can't say he spends a ton of time down there since there isn't much room.

Another goal is to spend more time in coffee shops during the day writing, but that's a challenge with a 30+ minute commute, a full-time Marketing career and a busy lifestyle. I love people watching, but it also distracts me from writing. I guess it's better I stick with writing at home.

So I'm going to go with option #1 and I'll let you know when I get there. 

Where are you writing right now? If money wasn't an issue, where would you like to write? 



Saturday, July 9, 2011

Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Skewers

Drop the takeout menu and make this Chinese delight on the grill
serves 4
(recipe found in Women's Health July/August 2011)
Chicken Skewers and Sweet Potatoes on the grill! Perfect summer recipe!
















1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size chunks
2 medium zucchini, cut into large chunks
2 cups large pineapple chunks, drained (fresh tastes awesome!)
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 medium red onions, cut into large chunks
2 red bell peppers, cut into large chunks
8 wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
Salt and black pepper
3 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp vinegar (rice wine or cider)
1 tsp sriracha hot sauce
Fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

1. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Thread chicken, veggies, and fruit onto skewers, alternating chicken, zucchini, pineapple, onion, and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir together maple syrup, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, and sriracha. Set aside half the glaze in a separate container; brush the rest onto the skewered food.

3. Grill until lightly charred and chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Then use a clean brush to coat with extra sauce. Top with cilantro, if desired.

Karl's reaction: "Didn't we just have skewers last week? Oh, wait...the pineapples are really good!"

My take: I liked this because it had a punch to it. And I knew it was healthy. All the chopping takes a bit, but I left the grilling up to Karl and he said that was a bit of a pain. Oopsy! We had sweet potatoes for the side and an awesome spinach salad. More to come on those...

Karl grilling on our small baby grill!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Tex-Mex Twist

Beef Stir-Fry with Avocado Salad
serves 4
(recipe found in Fitness Magazine May 2011 and is Anna Berman's recipe)

Beef Stir-Fry with Avocado Salad














12 ounces beef tenderloin, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 TBS plus 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 poblano, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup Cojita cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup cilantro plus more for garnish, chopped
Corn tortillas

1. In a bowl, combine beef, 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tablespoon chili powder; set aside
2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, bell pepper and poblano and saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add beef and marinade to vegetables and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
4. In another bowl, combine beans, avocado, cheese, 1/4 cup cilantro and remaining lime juice and chili powder.
5. Garnish beef and vegetables with remaining cilantro. Serve with avocado salad and warmed tortillas if desired.

Karl's reaction: "Ooooooooooo, I like this a lot!" *nods head* "Mmmmmmm. Scrumptious, babe!"

My take: One of my all-time favorites! I loved the avocado salad. I could eat that every day!!!

Avocado Salad (seriously GOOD)

Lots of flavor in the beef tenderloin - yum!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Why Having a Life is Good for Writers

Good stories come out of the busyness life provides...if we're paying attention

I whined to a writer friend last week that I take on too much and can't say "no" enough. His response: "you’ll probably agree all your “yes’s” – though hectic and sometimes overwhelming – are very life affirming while enriching you with things to write about."

Okay, fine Lyle, you are so right! (P.S. His book is coming out soon and it's a good one! I'll direct you to his blog once he gets it up and running.) 

Grabbed some friends and my hubs and headed to two wineries in Stillwater, MN for the day. AWESOME!
 


















So I clamped my mouth shut and decided to sit back, enjoy and soak up ideas for my next manuscript. Problem was my mind was fuzzy. Real fuzzy. No, I wasn't drunk...I was at a loss for words... And that's not a good thing.

I've said it before on this blog. I started on manuscript (ms) #2 a couple months ago to kill time as I waited for responses on my query letter and received feedback from agents on my first ms. 

In the meantime some of my critique ladies read my first three chapters of #2 ms and asked if I was writing a psychological thriller. Say what? Hmmmmm. Not sure I was going for that. What was happening to me? I'm all about love and rainbows and dancing hearts. A psychological thriller?! Me??

That should've been my first sign. Then life became really busy and I began revising 360 pages of my first ms. And you know how that goes with a full-time job, freelance work, and all the other stuff that comes with being responsible. It's hard, but if you want it bad enough, you will find a way!

I thought 'finding a way' meant excluding myself from everyone and all the fun stuff happening around me. This is when my adult mature self (I'm now the ripe age of 32) came into play. There's a time when you have to look inside yourself and ask: Am I writing to write? Or am I truly writing for the love of writing?

Yes, that is Taylor Swift. This young lady reminded me how much I LOVE love. The first kiss. Falling in love. Holding back when I really wanted to scream from the roof tops. Saying I love you. She had glitter and everything. Yes, I swear I'm really 32...
 My first ms is my baby. That is my love. And I want to feel that way about every book I write. Obviously I want to continue writing about what I know and what I've experienced. I want to stand out. I want my stories and books to shine. But it's hard to do when everything around me is fuzzy and moving at an insane speed.

I noticed as I was writing ms #2, something was different. Maybe the words were forced? I was trying to push something that wasn't there? 

The problem with getting older is we're faced with more responsibilities - jobs and tasks that prevent us from sitting back and enjoying the small things. I know that sounds terrible. But think about it: a Popsicle on a hot day was all I needed to put a smile on my face after living carefree, playing in the woods and riding bikes with my brothers and the neighbor boys. The sounds of frogs and weird bugs chirping at night made me feel safe on a summer's night. I made time to count the stars or feel the blades of grass between my fingers.

When life becomes too routine, or we have too much going on at once, we start to forget about the good things. The small things. The awesome things. Life feels rushed and same with our words. 

We need the precious moments.

And sometimes writers become overwhelmed with deadlines and lists and finding balance. We have ten more pages to edit before our head hits the pillow or another manuscript to start, a deadline to meet, etc.

How can we not want Juliet to find her Romeo? Ahhh...LOVE <3
 But the reason we're writers is because we LOVE to write. We notice things. We observe people and the world around us and we relish the moments. We want to put into words the beautiful, amazing things happening around us. We need to! 

With that said, I took my writer friend's advice and LIVED!

And guess what? That's all I needed to do. The words started flowing. And I found my voice again. The words became clearer.

So go out there, have some fun, experience LIFE and do something daring. You never know what story you might get out of it!


Two friends who spent a long time looking for love, but realized sometimes all you need is a girlfriend to lean on!



Sunday, June 12, 2011

Love all year long contest

Writing Contest!

I'm participating in another writing contest for my completed manuscript. I'm super pumped about this contest because it's all about LOVE! Got to love me some LOVE!

I'd appreciate you taking a moment to read over my 750-word love scene and let me know if I can improve my writing, scene, hook, etc. Basically I want to know if you want to read more! Or if there are any glaring mistakes.

The rules: To enter this contest, you should post a love scene from a finished manuscript on your blog this Sunday, June 12th. The excerpt must have a maximum length of 750 words, but it could be less if it ends on a hook (remember, sometimes less really is more). There is no minimum word count. The scene we're looking for can show love in all kinds of ways, in all kinds of genres. The scene should be romantic, but not necessarily a kissing scene. We're looking for any kind of love here. Go here if you want to play!

The fabulous agent, Weronika Janczuk, of Lynn C. Franklin Associates, Ltd. will be judging!

Wish me luck!

Title: WANTED: GROOM FOR MY $100K WEDDING
Genre: Women's Fiction/Contemporary Romance
Manuscript word count: 90,000

“Reservations for Jack Reid and Ella Dirks,” Jack explains to check in.

The short redhead with the turned-up nose hands him two cards. “Room nineteen-twenty-four, our fabulous royal suite. We’ve been expecting you two.”

My eyes bug out. “Royal suite?”

“There must be some sort of mistake,” Jack interjects. “We should be under two separate reservations.”

“Yes, we’re on Good Morning America tomorrow,” I explain in a panic as I grip the counter.

“Honey, I know who you are,” declares the redhead with a stern tone. “Your wedding is in seven weeks and this is your fiancé.” She points to Jack with an authoritative finger.

I shake my head. “No. No. You have it all wrong. I’m looking for a fiancé. This is just the editor-in-chief of the magazine sponsoring the dream wedding…”

She frowns and lets out a sigh as she taps her acrylics along the keyboard, shaking her head. I admire her careful bob as it manages to stay in perfect form. “Nope. That’s not what we were told. Enjoy your stay.” She slides to her right and waves over the next customer.

I open my mouth.

Jack’s large hand hooks my wrist. “It’ll be fine.” He pushes me along by the small of my back. “There’ll be plenty of room in the suite and we need to go to bed anyway.” He glances at his watch. “We're getting up in less than four hours.”

As we enter the three-bedroom suite, I realize Jack is right. Plenty of room. My eyelids grow heavy with each blink. I walk into my room and plop my suitcase on the large bed, falling back onto it. “I can’t believe I’m going to be on Good Morning America,” I say as my head adheres to the row of luxury pillows. I pump my feet along the mattress and let them slide over the Egyptian cotton sheets.

I roll to my side and glance at the clock. Fear creeps in as each minute ticks by. What questions will they ask about my wedding? Will they bring up how Chance left me? Will I say too much? Will America laugh at me? Will I cry…and on television? I swallow hard. A knock at my door startles me.

Jack walks in with a pillowcase wrapped around his head, blow dryer in hand, standing on his tiptoes. “Hello there Ella Dirks,” he speaks into the blow dryer sweetly. “It’s me Melissa Rycroft from Good Morning America and The Bachelor. I have a couple questions about your search for the perfect groom,” the pitch in his voice raises. He tilts the blow dryer from his mouth to my lips.

I roll over and laugh hysterically in my pillow.

“What? My hair not dark enough?” He showcases his hands over the pillowcase and smoothes the material. “My abs not flat enough like hers?” His mocked dainty voice catches and he coughs.

I continue laughing and he joins in, taking a seat next to me on the bed. I catch my breath and sit up. “Ohh, if you’re Melissa, does that mean you were also on Dancing with the Stars and have to dance for me?” I jump up and race over to the large sixty-inch flatscreen in the other room. I flip through the channels until I find one of the bumping music stations. I turn up the volume. “Okay, Melissa. Let’s dance.”

I begin pumping out the Roger Rabbit. He grins and pushes me aside as he moves his arms like a sprinkler. I grab my abs and let my head fall back in laughter. A slow song comes on and my head snaps forward. We both freeze. I bite my lip and study the freshly vacuumed carpet. Jack spins me around and pulls me in, holding me tightly against him. We sway back and forth and for a moment the world stops. I feel safe as I breathe in his wonderful soap smell and rest my head against his chest, listening to his heart drill against it.

As if something entered his mind, he steps back. “I’m sorry about that.” He clears his throat. “I’m sure you’re going to find a real nice groom, Ella. You’ll do great tomorrow. We should probably go to bed.” His brown eyes soften as he searches mine.

I shift my eyes to the floor, wishing he didn’t pull away, but push the thought from my mind. Would my future groom be watching me tomorrow on television? “Yeah, you’re probably right." We both walk into our rooms and close the doors. I spend the next few hours dreaming of my one-hundred-thousand-dollar wedding and the most perfect groom waiting to find me.

THANK YOU! And good luck to all the participants!!!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Christie Koester - Graphic Designer

What? Christie does other things besides write?
Enter in Graphic Designer

Most people know me as Christie Koester, writer. Yes, writing is my passion, however, I do enjoy learning computer software programs and playing around with photos, graphics, colors, etc. I do like to design. After all, I'm a graphic designer by day. I didn't really go to school for it, but somehow design keeps falling into every position I've been in. Could be my personality or my willingness to take bright orange and paint our walls of our home without any reservations...and lime green, hot pink, yellow, etc.

Let's just say I'm a color person and I'm not afraid to use it. Black and white doesn't work well with me, and I'll give whatever project I'm asked to do back with enough pizazz to make your eyes pop. Ha!

I bet you can only imagine what our wedding was like? With that said...I'm giving you a peek into the fun stuff I did for our special day!

Maybe I was patiently waiting to have my 'fairytale' moment where I was finally able to plan my very own wedding. And maybe I'm a bit like my main character, Ella, in my book (Wanted: Groom for my $100K Wedding), but hear me out...I really couldn't help myself! Ha! Weddings make me smile. They make me giddy and happy and full of joy. I'm a dreamer and a huge sucker for love.

I went all out and made everything from our programs to invites to our super special wedding album to menus to table numbers to thank you cards. You name it, I designed it. Below are some of my examples! Enjoy!










A few pages from our photo album (I designed in InDesign CS3 and printed through whcc.com)

I do!!!








I frickin' LOVE love!!!

We had the best wedding party ever!!!!!!

 















































































Our fun wedding program (every job I've worked at, I've been in charge of the newsletters, so I had to work that into the design...yes, it was 8 pages. He, he.)
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!!!























Our 'Thank You' cards to all those who helped make our wedding possible. I made a couple. One for the wedding party and one for the musicians and church staff!!

These "Thank You" cards contained some of our engagement photos

















Thank you to flower lady! LOVED our bright flowers!!

















Thank you for all our friends in our wedding party!

















Okay, so there's a lot more *giggle* but I think you get the idea!!! Now you have a taste of my love for weddings:)

My question to you... Was there a wedding you've been to that has blown you away? Do share!!!