Totally Random Tuesday

Have you ever had one of those days where you just couldn't concentrate?  I have been staring at a blank computer screen with a little cursor blinking at me for about an hour now (okay, so I've also been looking at Twitter, but that's not the point).  I have a great idea for a story.  There are scenes that I can see in my head.  It's right there on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't get it to come across my fingers and the keyboard and onto the page.  Eh.  So goes the writing life sometimes.

Of course, it would help if I were in a place that was at least halfway conducive to creativity.  Computer labs with their pencil marked white walls and subzero temperatures and dozens of humming computers and people pretending to study while they're playing on Facebook (like me!) are not exactly the most productive place for creating art.

So, since I'm having trouble writing, it only seemed appropriate to share some of my favorite thoughts about writing from some of my favorite writers. 

On another note, although I will be eating junk from the cafeteria today (campus life...oh, joy), I had an amazing salad last night.  I love salads, especially ones with fruit in them.  So last night, my mother brought home one of those bagged salads with mixed greens and we tossed blueberries, mandarin oranges, grapes and strawberries with it and topped it with some baked chicken, homemade candied pecans, and strawberry vinaigrette.  It was AMAZING! 

Here's the recipe for the candied pecans...

I have to make these in small batches, because if I make them I eat them all!  Every recipe I found was for a pound of pecans, which was way too much (because pecans are super expensive and I don't need to eat an entire pound of anything in one sitting).  So I kind of made this recipe up based on a couple of the ones I found.  It turned out pretty good (or it must have, because almost all the pecans were gone before bed last night). 

Candied Pecan Recipe

1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Melt butter (I melt mine in the microwave).  Stir sugars and cinnamon into melted butter.  Pour mixture over pecans and toss to coat.  Pour pecans onto a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.  Be careful not to let them burn (a few of mine almost did!  Yikes!).

You can let them cool on the pan, or you can scoop them onto a cooling rack (some of the excess sugar will drip off through the rack).  I chopped them up before I put them on my salad.