Grilled muffins and character arcs

[rolanni]

There have been a couple requests from readers of Carousel Tides for the "recipe" for grilled blueberry muffins, so I thought I'd put it out here where everybody can see it.

Take a blueberry muffin (a slightly stale or "day old" blueberry muffin may be better in terms of structural integrity), cut it in half, crown to base. Butter and warm a skittle or griddle. Alternatively, butter the blueberry halves. Place the blueberry halves on the buttered griddle. Fry 'til golden on one side, flip and brown on the other side. Remove to a plate, and eat with a fork (it'll be hot. and buttery.).
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Based on the theory that if one asks, several wonder, I've brought this question from simianpower up to the top:

My first Liaden book was Agent of Change when it first came out, so I've followed the Val Con storyline with occasional divergences to Shan's, and that's what I want more of. Is there more? Did I miss something in the morass of Amazon links? I may not be your target audience, because I generally enjoy following one set of characters through a (mostly) chronological series of events, and additional books that follow different characters interest me quite a bit less. So I wait for more Val Con and Miri.

My answer was (and is):

If I understand this correctly, the request is for a return to a Val Con and Miri specific storyline.

. . .as best as I can tell right now, that's not going to happen. Val Con and Miri will certainly appear in future stories -- they're the delm, after all, and the clan has some Interesting Times ahead of it.

There may be a future book that is mostly Val Con and Miri, but I don't see them carrying book after book like they did in the Agent of Change sequence (Agent of Change, Conflict of Honors, Carpe Diem, Plan B, I Dare -- one story spanning five books). The work of that set of stories included reuniting Val Con with his clan, moving the clan out of a stagnant and increasingly dangerous situation, and setting up for the next batch of problems, so that other characters can come on stage.

We're under contract for three more Liaden Universe(R) novels -- Dragon Ship (sequel to Ghost Ship, due out in August, which is the direct sequel to I Dare); Trade Secret (sequel to Balance of Trade); and George, which kind of fits into a pocket of Ghost Ship and mostly follows characters we've never seen before.
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In mundane news, it snowed yesterday -- about four inches; not too bad for the first snow of the season.

Fans of Hexapuma will be interested to learn that he continues to show improvement under the new meds-and-gooshy-food agenda. I think he's gained a little weight, but trying to weigh a cat on a people scale is a chancy enterprise, at best. We do have that follow-up with the vet next week, which will tell the tale.

Comments

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

We got probably twice that much snow. Retrograde storm.

Good news on Hexapuma.

snow and weighing of coon cats

[(Anonymous)]

It's been snowing here for weeks. Inch here, two inches there, but it is so windy (at the bottom of three passes) that all of our snow is in Kansas. Cold tho! As to weighing of cats, I always stand on the scale with Mike (our coon cat) and then put her down and re-weigh with just me -- just, that's a laugh. Jenny from CO

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Is the blueberry muffin 'recipe' a local one, or yours or family? Just curious. (And interesting that it's cut top to bottom, I'd been visualising cutting it across the middle so giving two circular parts.)

Good news on Hex. (Even if it did just take me three attempts to spell 'news' correctly!)

Grilled muffin

[(Anonymous)]

And here I was picturing slicing a blueberry muffin horizontally,
putting a dab of butter each side and toasting in under a broiler.
But yours sounds more buttery.
Curse you.
I'ma gonna have to find some day old muffins to try this with.
rrrrrr,
Lauretta@ConstellationBooks
PS Some customers claim Reisterstown saw minor flurries 12/5. I
dunno as I saw anything.

[(Anonymous)]

I was overjoyed to see that a sequel to Balance of Trade was in the planning stages. It's my favorite of your novels. A while ago a survey showed that my tastes weren't shared by the majority of your readers and I figured a sequel would never happen. So many story lines to be followed up on -- can't wait.

Jim

cat weight

[amm-me.livejournal.com]

One uses a tare method - step on scale holding cat, mentally record weight, allow cat to successfully escape the confining grip, record new weight, and subtract.

This is substantially more difficult if your scale is the doctor's-office, move-the-weights-carefully-to-achieve-balance type. Particularly with a still very skittish, ex-feral cat whom you have unfairly lured into your grip with treat morsels.

Grilled Muffin - Cat Weight

[(Anonymous)]

Sounds delicious - I'll have to see if I can get my gluten-free baker to backe some, then the problem will be keeping them a day.

We tried to weight our cat Jack with the person on holding cat, putting down, etc., came out with a weight of 20 pounds. I would have been willing to believe it, but the vet's scale said 12. I would swear he is more, and he is an easy cat to pick up. His sister Jill will not let me pick her up at all, but the master of the house could. Vet's scale says she weights 11 lb 8 oz. She looks a lot thinner, might be a tad longer. Best wishes to Hex. Love, Joan C

Re: cat weight

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Do you weigh the morsels too, to determine the weight of cat sans treats? };)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Y'a know, from the interest, maybe you should make a YouTube video -- the grilling of the Blueberry Muffin! Who knows, it might be a hit.

[mothadventures.livejournal.com]

Many things taste wonderful griddled. I learned it from my father who was British and would serve "fried bread" at just about any time.

I keep a seasoned pan on the stove just for "frying bread" (sometimes called pan-toasted in our house). I do english muffins or scones that way for breakfast several times a week; the newish high-fiber low fat "sandwich flats" pan-toast very well, and if one is making a sandwich to pack for lunch, the warm bread will melt the cheese a bit. I don't know when I last used the toaster but it's got to be years ago -- I pan-toast instead. The classic recipe is indeed to use butter but I season the pan with canola oil and spread things with an anti-cholesterol spread the nutritionist recommended.

I must admit that I thought I was taking things a bit too far when I griddled some slightly stale pumpkin cake-style mini donuts....but they came out WONDERFUL, lightly crispy on the outside and warm and yummy inside. Good thing pumpkin donuts were a thanksgiving only special at the local Market Basket grocery.

Carousel Tides

[star-horse3.livejournal.com]

Just mentioned Carousel Tides over on Ilona Andrews' blog. I don't know if you have read her books, but her blog gets many, many comments. Maybe some of the other commenters(sp?) will read mine. May the word spread far.

weighing your pet

[mamoses.livejournal.com]

For any pet small enough to pick up: stand on the scale and weigh yourself. Then stand on the scale while holding your pet. Subtract the first number from the second. The difference is how much your pet weighs.

Re: Grilled Muffin - Cat Weight

[terrio]

I have long believed that cats have the ability to control gravity -- their own, at least, as anyone who has tried to shift a sleeping feline off their lap will attest.

Exactly. How to weigh a small pet

[claire774.livejournal.com]

Very glad to hear that Hex is improving. That's great news.

Standard procedure for weighing a cat or small dog. As in the comment before this one. Exactly right. For weighing a large dog: I think that has to be in the vet's office. The Best Friends clinic has a walk on scale for the large dogs. The dog is on a leash and encouraged to get on the scale even for just enough time to weigh the critter. Weighing a horse? I'll have to go ask.

As for the novels. thanks for all the news. Just received Duainfey. Waiting for Longeye. Also looking forward to Blazeday I believe it's called.

As for the fried muffin: I'm afraid I would say probably only for the young,strong or immortal. Not for us older or weight challenged people or health challenged people. Tut tut. Maybe once in a whiole for a special treat.
Sorry to be such a party poop.
Gus and me --- always watching our waistlines. How to get through the holidays you ask. Very carefully.
C. and Gus

Re: Grilled Muffin - Cat Weight

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Robin Wood has already written a book about it (http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Books/BookPages/CGBBook.html), which also explains why things pile up on desks and under the bed.

(It's also related to the Dark Sucker Theory (http://members.dslextreme.com/users/rogermw/darksucker.html).

[readinggeek451]

From the grilling instructions: I'm assuming a 'skittle' is what I would call a 'skillet', that is, a pan that's wide and shallow?