Another dumpling rice dinner tonight. The temperature goes from hi–80° to hi–40° in the span of 12 hours so I usually don’t want to turn on the oven but at the same time I want something warm and comforting to eat as the evening grows cold. I had sliced zucchini and Italian squash to use as well as blocks of fried tofu. I had some shrimp har gow as well as pork gyoza in the freezer to toss in on top. I think what really helps when doing this is making sure that the broth in your rice has sesame seed oil as well as garlic, ginger, and shoyu. That seems to round the taste out the best. I also added some crushed up fried onions on top for crunch but I suppose you could do that with toasted panko as well.

This is definitely a dish where you have to trust the process and be sure to wash the rice cooker very well when you’re done. I probably could have added a fried egg on top of this one but I just really didn’t want to deal with it because I’m trying to get a plot worked out.

These types of rice cooker dishes are very easy to throw together and don’t necessarily have to be Asian either. I imagine you could do something like chicken and dumplings if you have a gravy warming up in a pot on the stove to pour on top. Or perhaps something more Hispanic inspired. I just go for my comfort foods. But I am willing to explore.

Tonight’s Dinner
Dumpling Rice with shrimp, peas, and carrots.

This is one of the easiest things to make when I am lazy. Well, more lazy than usual. Basically rice with a broth (Better Than Bouillon for the win), minced ginger, garlic, shoyu, salt and pepper. Then layer things on top like sliced bok choy or mushroom, some frozen peas/carrots. I always put the veggies on top of the rice then layer the protein and dumplings on top. This time it was sliced crimini mushrooms and frozen peas and carrots. Then some jumbo shrimp I had in the freezer and finally some pork and veggie gyoza (also frozen). Put the lid on and hit play. Let it cook and steam as normal, although I do let it steam for a little bit longer if I have something like mushrooms in it. Sometimes it’s a bit to clean the pot but totally worth it. Very tasty. Makes two meals (a dinner and lunch) and I don’t have to watch a pot or curse an oven.

Please give a warm welcome to Barbara Elsborg! I’ve lending her some space here so she can tell you all about her upcoming book, Hold On.

From Barbara:

Hi everyone! For those who have never heard of me – and there are probably around 7.888 billion of you – I write gay romance in different genres and with many tropes – contemporary, romantic suspense, paranormal with vampires, wolves, faeries, angels, demons and everything in between, and the tropes are too numerous to mention. My books tend to feature damaged guys with broken hearts (I am a cruel author) but no matter how dark their back story, there is always a happy ever after (because I am also kind) and no matter how difficult a journey I put them through, there is always a space for banter and humour. (Well, I try to be funny)

My newest book is second in the Fate We Make series but it is a standalone.  Release date 15^th October.

Find more information about my novel, Hold On pge.me/holdon

Hold On

Sixteen long years behind bars. Almost half his life. But finally, freedom and a future Dominic can see. Yet as he steps into the world, a whispered threat shatters his hopes of a fresh start. He’ll never be able to stop looking over his shoulder.

Ren narrowly survives the most dangerous situation of his life, but at least his attackers think he’s dead. Spending the summer stuck on his brother’s archaeological dig isn’t his idea of fun, but it beats being fussed over by his mother. It’s as good a place as any to heal physical and mental scars, and he has plenty of those.

The roar of Ren’s motorbike is his lifeline, the one thing that makes him feel truly alive. But a moment’s lapse in concentration and he knocks Dominic off his feet. The accident brings together two damaged souls whose pasts won’t stay buried. With danger on their tail, hanging on to hope—and to each other—won’t be easy.

Join Dominic and Ren as they fight to keep the shadows of the past at bay and their future bright. In a world where love is fragile, two hearts learning to heal may just discover love is worth the risk.

Warning
Please note that one of the main characters in the story is in prison for murder. Sexual, physical and psychological abuse of a child is mentioned but no on-page detail is given. Sexual abuse of an adult is also mentioned but not shown on-page. Suicide is also mentioned in passing but not part of the story. There is some graphic violence.

The details of all my books can be found on my website https://www.barbaraelsborg.com/

Signing up for my mailing list gives access to secret content on my website with lots of further stories about characters in my stories.

I have a Facebook group too that you are welcome to join Barbara’s Besties

The Dirt & Sin shop has been updated! Some designs have been retired and new ones added. And a different version of the Kirin is now out.

There are TWO Coffee, Cats, & Murder Shenanigate designs now.

More designs to follow… once I figure out how I want to do them 😀

** As a reminder, everything in the shop is only 25¢ more than the cost price. That 25¢ goes to cover licenses and any shipping fees for prizes given away from the shop. Every effort is made to keep the shop non-profit.

https://www.cafepress.com/rhysford/

WOOOOOOOT! Book is finished and off to be hacked by the red pens! But… it is DONE! WOOOT!

It has been a busy couple of weeks. Yet another procedure under my belt.

And that was a very unintentional pun. Mostly I have been heads down writing and then I will be getting everything ready for GRL. I had hoped this situation would have been taken care of before I had to leave but I am pretty much going to be in the same physical state as I was last year. Maybe less tired. So there is going to be a lot of pacing and energy expenditure in Portsmouth.

There is really not much going on other than writing. I’ve been reading a lot of books but nothing that I feel is so fantastic that I need to share. Except TA Moore’s Footwork which I really enjoyed because it was a fun read. Everything else has been urban fantasy and not all of it is good. There have been some that I have really enjoyed and am following for the next book.

Purchase Footwork on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCJVYLRT/

I did read the last JD Robb book as well. And while I enjoy the characters, I didn’t feel like the story was super engaging but it was okay. One thing I do notice about my reading habits is that sometimes I’m just not in the mood for the, that I’ve got if I recognize something is good writing but it’s not grabbing me I usually put it aside to read later. I had that experience with Karin Lowachee’s Warchild which is a fantastic book and the rest of the series is as stellar but I wasn’t in that mindset when I first picked it up. Under the writing was incredible but I wasn’t in the mood for that drama so I put it aside until I could come back to it and really enjoyed it and I have no regrets with that.

Purchase Warchild on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Warchild-Karin-Lowachee-ebook/dp/B0C6VG67PF/

I noticed that the Hawai’i Pickle Lady did a segment on one of my favorite dishes which is a Asian garlic eggplant. I love eggplant in nearly all of its forms but I do not care for baba ghanoush. No idea why. It’s like my hatred of split pea soup when I absolutely adore peas.

I hope today finds you all well and that you are headed into the next season in good health and surrounded by your favorite cookies.

Grab yourself a copy!

Bode Harlan has never claimed to be a good guy, but he’s trying to keep his nose clean and his head down these days.

After a year in prison for assault–and to be fair, he did it–he isn’t looking to go back. Admittedly, his pretty face being the star attraction in an illegal underground fighting ring seems to run counter to that goal, but he’s gotta pay the bills and there ain’t much else he’s good at.

And it keeps his parole officer off his back…since she runs the place.

Then his mom skips town and her boyfriend kicks Bode’s 14 year old brother out on the street. Bode grew up in and out of foster care, he doesn’t want that for Danny. It’s not like he can take the kid in, though. He’s an ex-con who gets beat up twice a month for money. That’s how he ends up on his good-natured ex-boyfriend’s doorstep. Sonny is a soft touch. At least he always was for Bode. All he wants is somewhere to crash for a couple of nights, nothing more. Sonny’s got his life together now–a home, a boyfriend, even a dog–and it would take a real asshole to want to blow that up.

…of course, Bode’s never said he wasn’t an asshole.

Purchase Footwork on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCJVYLRT/

I joke about #teamnoketchup (on eggs) because it’s just something to tease about but if you like ketchup on your eggs, I’ll make sure there’s some in the house when you come to visit.

When I was a kid, I loved to draw. I loved art. It didn’t matter if I was good at it, I loved it. My father told me I was really bad at it and I’d never make a living at it so I should stop. He ruined years of pleasure before I regained my interest again but I can never go back and rebuild what I lost.

I was also made to feel ashamed of reading. Ashamed is the wrong word. I was emotionally and verbally abused… and sometimes struck… for reading a book. I was asked if I thought I was better than everyone, smarter than everyone, simply because I loved to read.

It was my escape from a violent and painful time in my life. Reading turned into storytelling in my head. I could turn inward and shape worlds. And I continued to read. Because if I didn’t, I had no other way out.

So let people enjoy their things. Simple things like a fall drink or sweetened tomato sauce over their eggs.

Shitting on them can ruin a pleasure. (And do not make that weird).