"The embarrassing thing is that the salad dressing is outgrossing my films."

~ Paul Newman

Oranges have always been one of my favorite fruits. I love the crisp, clean scent of anything orange based from my cleaners, to my body scrubs to my choice of food flavorings - orange is my first love.

When I lived in San Diego I could spend hours driving north and loved nothing more than finding myself in the midst of orange groves - so aromatic, so romantic (yes, something about those orange groves is romantic to me.)

So this morning while flipping through the pages of my "Bobby Flay's Bold American Food" cookbook, and I happened upon this recipe for Orange Vinaigrette - you can imagine my delight! And being the good blog host that I am, I'm going to share it with all of you!

Enjoy!

Orange Vinaigrette

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 2tbs chopped red onion, 2 tbs fresh lime juice, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp ancho chile powder, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In a saucepan over high heat, reduce the orange juice until it forms a syrup. Let the syrup cool slightly (to skip this step, substitute 3 tbs of undiluted frozen orange juice.)

2. In a blender, combine the orange syrup, onion, lime juice, mustard, chile powder, and wine vinegar. Blend for 30 seconds. With the blender running, slowly add  the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

May be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room termperature before serving.

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"Good men and bad men differ radically. Bad men never appreciate kindness shown them, but wise men appreciate and are grateful." ~ Buddha

It's because of the loyalty of my readers that I post here on the blog as often as I do. I appreciate the comments left both on the blog and the comments I receive in my email - they mean a lot to me!

So just to let you all know that I not only listen, I hear you and I deliver! Which means, a few new things on the blog!

(1) For your commenting pleasure, I have found another spam fighter and have removed the dreaded math from the comment box! (I know, I hated it too!)

(2) DeboraDennis.com has been modified for your iPhone/iTouch viewing/commenting enjoyment - I even have my own little app button (really, how cool is that? It matches my twitter icon, if you follow me on twitter, you'll recognize me!) *From your phone or touch, go to safari, type in deboradennis.com - the blog is officially the home page so you get your Saucy Scribe quicker. Hit the bookmark feature and choose - save to main screen - and you'll see my icon with your other apps! (I'm really excited about this, can you tell?)

and

(3) Get ready for "Writing Inspiration Friday's!" Starting within the next few weeks Friday's will be taken over by a guest blogger every week. Get ready for blogs about what inspires authors to write or what inspired their latest release. And what guest post would be complete without prizes? Yup - my guests will be bringing goodies to give away too.

Watch the sidebar on the right for my guest spot line-up.

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• Writing Inspiration Friday – Rachel Brimble
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• Writing Inspiration Friday – Angelika Devlyn

"No and yes cause long disputes." ~ Author Unknown

Summer is here. The kids are home from school and enjoying carefree days of doing nothing or everything - whatever their hearts desire.

Do you remember those days? Days of waking up late, staying up even later, and then spending your day with no agenda?

One would think that being a writer I would embrace the summer and enjoy the kids not being on the school-year schedule.

One would think that being a writer I would embrace the summer and be just as carefree as the kids.

WRONG!

For some reason the summer totally stresses me out. MY schedule is off. I feel guilty being at the computer all day trying desperately to weave my plot, solve conflicts (and let's not even talk about the love scenes!) while the kids living in the moment.

So, after a sleepless night last night (and yes some sleepwalking and talking were involved!) I've come to the conclusion my stress isn't good for anyone - not me, not the hubby and certainly not my kids!

I've decided to give myself permission to step away from the computer and the writing for a little bit each day. I decided to say "YES" to something different. It's definitely going to mean some later nights writing and plotting - but if it reduces the stress during the day, that's a good thing.

This morning I'm thinking about the Jim Carrey movie, Yes Man.  (Probably because it's been on cable lately and for some reason it's stuck in my head.)

Carl is a man stuck in a life he's not happy with, he's lost the woman he thought he loved, he's no fun to be around and his friends are worried about him.

He attends a seminar (okay, more like is dragged to a seminar) where he's told his life will change if he embraces the idea of "YES!" He leaves the seminar and immediately finds himself with a choice to make - he says yes (because it's a movie and there would be no plot if he didn't, but that's beside the point...) and his life takes on an interesting twist.

Now, let's be honest, this is a Jim Carrey movie - it's not deep and certainly not serious, but the more you watch it, the more you think about the idea. What opportunites are out there waiting for you if you say yes to something today instead of no? What will change in your life if you do somethinig different - could it be something good? Say yes to the blue cheese dressing instead of the lo-cal italian. Say yes to the extra lap around the block today while walking with the kids - you never know what they might tell you in those added minutes of alone, undivided time.

So what do you think, can you slow down for the summer? Do you have a way to combat the stress and live in the moment, even if just for an hour or two? Can you say "YES" to something different today?

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"I fear the man who drinks water and so remembers this morning what the rest of us said last night." ~ Greek Proverb

Legend goes that the Lemon Drop Martini was first created in a singles bar in San Francisco in the 1970's and has been a popular West Coast drink ever since. Even though I lived in San Diego for seven years, I'll be honest and tell you that I only just discovered this drink last summer - and here on the East Coast!

Recipe below courtesy of WhatsCookingAmerica.net

Lemon Drop Martini

1 1/2 ounces vodka (use a good-quality vodka)
1/2 ounce orange liqueur (Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, etc.)
1 teaspoon superfine sugar or to taste*
3/4 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Ice cubes
Superfine sugar for dipping
Twisted peel of lemon

* Superfine sugar is instantly dissolving sugar that is typically used in drinks. If you want to avoid the shaking, make basic simple syrup to use in place of the sugar.

Mix the vodka, orange liqueur, sugar, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice; shake well (supposedly the cocktail is to be shaken 40 times to make sure the sugar is well blended).

Pour strained liquor into sugar-rimmed martini glass and garnish with a twisted peel of lemon.

NOTE: To create a sugar-rimmed glass, take a lemon wedge and rub the drinking surface of the glass so it is barely moist. Dip the edge of the glass into the superfine sugar.

Makes 1 serving.

Do you have a favorite summer drink or a favorite martini flavor?

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Click the banner for details on how to win a Kindle from Blade Publishing!

To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Blade Publishing, I'm having a contest! Want to win your choice of The Kandy Shoppe or Her Knight Before Christmas (pdf versions)? Simply comment on at least one of my blog posts every week in the month of June to be entered to win!

And finally, my good friend and critique partner, Jennifer Shirk, is doing a weekly blog installment on the writing habits of successful romance fiction writers! How fun is that? Every wednesday she offers up a new author for the hotseat and they tell-all about their writing routines and offer some FREE books to their commenters. And today's guest? Another good friend, fellow chaptermate and critique partner - Gina Ardito!

There you go - 3 ways to win something!

Go have some fun

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I'm a product reviewer! I received my free samples in the mail on Saturday and today I'll be starting to test the product and over the next few weeks expect a review or two.

Neutrogena UltraSheer® Liquid Daily Sunblock, available in SPF 70 and 55. It's a breakthrough liquid sunblock so lightweight you won't believe it delivers superior sun protection. It's waterproof, sweatproof and won't clog your pores.

UltraSheer Liquid daily sunblock has a water-light texture that spreads easily over skin, absorbing instantly for a weightless feel and look. It provides an even, non-shiny finish that works beautiful alone or under makeup. This product also contains Helioplex® technology for superior broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection.

I'm excited about this product. I'm not a big make-up girl and I don't like the feel of too much on my face. BUT, I'm also not a big fan of sunburns or the idea of skin cancer, so I DO cover up with a good sunblock every summer (and my big floppy hat goes everywhere with me too!)

How about you, do you like a moisturizer with a sunscreen in it for the summer?

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"I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a good book." ~ Groucho Marx

Last night I had to drop off some books I had borrowed from my local library for research on an upcoming book. As it was close to dinnertime, I had planned to drop them in the "drop-box" and come right home, but my daughter asked if she could come look for a book.

Would I say no to any request to getting a book into my child's hands? NO.

Our first stop was the front desk to return my books. While at the desk I asked how old kids need to be to "graduate" to the young adult area - my daughter very excitedly handed over her card so she could have it updated. The best part about her moving up to the "teen" side of the library is that I can now leave her to browse while I browse the adult sections - a few minutes of alone time... YAY!

But this time I stayed with my daughter to help her navigate the new area. We did make a stop in the children's area, and she picked a book from there as well.

Excited about her choices (and what Mom doesn't get excited when her child wants to sit in a comfy chair at the library and read the first few pages?) we found a quiet spot for her to make sure she really wanted those books in the adult area - where I could still keep an eye on her. (At this moment there was a 3 yr old running amok in the library - down the stairs crying for mommy... a harried mother with an infant running up a different set of stairs calling the childs name...I remember those days!)

What I love about the library is that I often find myself there with little time to browse. Which means I often walk a few rows of the newer releases, grab a few things, read the back covers and go. Sometimes I get lucky and sometimes I don't - but it's the library, if I hate the book, I bring it back.

Last night I picked up a genre I don't normally read - christian/inspirational romance. The cover intriqued me, the back cover made me laugh and I grabbed it.

In those five minutes, I made a decision and left. I started reading the book last night and aside from the fact that it probably won't contain any hot, steamy sex - I think I might like this book and I might be looking for this author again - in the bookstore!

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

by Leanna Ellis

"Despite death defying feats, guilt has always pulled Bryn down time and again. But a perfect love shows her taking a leap of faith is the first step to soaring. But it only happens... once in a blue moon."

How about you? Have you ever picked up a new-to-you author at the library and became a fan?

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Each year, the published members of Dunes & Dreams Romance Writers (the eastern Long Island chapter of Romance Writers of America) invite a few authors to join them at Pindar Vineyards in Peconic, NY for a special afternoon of wine, books, and charity.



These authors come together to host the annual Multi-Author Vineyard Booksigning to benefit Literacy Suffolk, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Long Islanders learn to read and write.



This year's event will take place at Pindar Vineyards on Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 12-3 pm. Buy a personalized, autographed novel and a portion of your sale will be donated to this worthy cause.

For additional information, see the Dunes & Dreams website page.

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Today is my day of the month to post over at The Otherworld Diner.  Hope you join me for a slice of pumpkin pie along with my short list of things to be thankful for.

http://otherworlddiner.blogspot.com/2009/11/words-of-thanks.html

See you there!

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I'm blogging today at my crit group the Passionate Critters - please come by, say hi and leave a comment!

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