Monday, January 30, 2012

How About a Poem?

It's a little dark, but there is a little light shed at the end. ;)

The Time Has Come
By. Lauren Murphy

Distorted images of a dark face linger
Terrorizing my mind as I lie sleeping
Creeping in and out of peaceful dreams
Caressing my thoughts with angry malice

I hide under a fog of fleeting uncertainty
Afraid to confront the ominous essence
Impaling me with horror, hushed voice whispering
Hateful phrases, demeaning heartfelt desires

Tears flow from my eyes, as I realize
No other way, I must remain, wishing
For deliverance, survival seriously significant
Soul filled with evil, clouding my senses

Weary of hiding, my spirit demands release
My mind begins to clear, eliminating my fears
Tears disappear, no longer a slave
Released from my shackles, no longer afraid

Refreshed, restored, renewed, alive
The time has come...slowly I rise.

© Lauren Murphy, All rights reserved

Monday, January 23, 2012

Soooooooo...

The writing/editing bug still has yet to bite me, but I remain hopeful that I will find the time and the motivation to get this last story completed (because I can assure you, it is made of total awesomeness). The good news is that I’ve had plenty of time to try new recipes and if you promise not to judge me for my blatant procrastination I will share one with you… alright who am I kidding, here you go.


Sausage and Spinach Alfredo

Ingredients
1 pkg. Jimmy Dean® Regular Flavor Pork Sausage Roll
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
½ pound fettuccine, cooked, drained
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1bag (6 ounces) baby spinach leaves (about 8 cups)
Cracked black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in stockpot over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until sausage is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently; drain. Return sausage mixture to pan.

2. Stir in wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 4-5 minutes or until most of the wine is cooked off.

3. Add pasta, cream and cheese; bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened. Remove from heat.

4. Stir in spinach; cover. Let stand 3 minutes. Season with pepper.

Cook’s Tips For best results, use grated, not shredded, Parmesan cheese. Prepare using 1 pkg. Jimmy Dean® Italian Flavor Pork Sausage Roll. Serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese.

Yield:
Makes: 6 servings (about 1-1/4 cups each)
Check out this great recipe and more from the Jimmy Dean website. (http://jimmydean.com/recipes/italian-pasta-rockefeller.aspx)

Monday, January 16, 2012

Blame it on the holidays!

Yeah, so what if I went MIA before the holidays, that’s still where I will be placing the blame. I have been slacking horribly super busy with family stuff and haven’t been keeping up with my writing at all as much as I would have liked. Soooooo I am getting my butt in gear again… for the trillionth time, and working toward the completion of SOMETHING. Ugh! I’ve been getting some self-edits done on a story I intend to submit someday and I am pleased to find it’s much better than I thought… and only getting better. Wish me luck. *goes off to do something that would not be considered slacking off*