She-Scribes Unite!
One written word is worth a thousand pieces of gold.
—Japanese Proverb
As a writer who is no longer surrounded by a hub of colleagues, I miss not only the daily camaraderie of co-workers buzzing about me, but also having fellow editors to bounce ideas off of. That kind of back and forth is not only exhilarating—it’s imperative to the creative process! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve queried a fellow writer for his or her opinion about a word, a title, a paragraph—all in the name of sharpening my own skills and, hopefully, creating something beautiful for many to enjoy.
So, I’ve taken matters in hand. I’ve started a dinner club of fellow female writers and aestheates—an amazing group of six women who have something to say. Our pens are on fire with ideas and we have our first meeting tonight at my home. Our itinerary is loose—sit down for a little din-din, then share our work with each other with glasses of Chard all around. But our mutual goal is solid. The idea is to offer (constructive) criticism, feedback, and support to each other on a once-a-month basis. How wonderful does that sound?
Tonight’s dinner menu is exotic—a little spice to fuel our imaginations: Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives and Lemon, saffron rice, and salad. For dessert? More spice of course: Chocolate Chai Cobbler.
I found the chicken recipe, if you want to take a peek, and the cobbler recipe I’m testing is below. What do you think? Sound good?
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Chocolate Chai Cobbler
Makes 6 servings
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup self-rising flour
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
3-4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Oregon Chai The Original Chai Latte Mix (powdered)
1 ½ cups boiling water
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt butter in an 8x8-inch Pyrex dish as the oven preheats. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugars, and cocoa powder. Stir in milk and vanilla until smooth. Remove Pyrex dish from the oven. Spoon mixture over the melted butter. In a small bowl, stir together chai mix and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Sprinkle over the batter. Slowly pour boiling water over the top of the mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until set. Serve warm with Vanilla Bean ice cream.
Cheers,
OregonChaiMama