Journal Notes

Last chance to enter to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom is filled with more than 150 recipes, anecdotes, and stories from some of America’s most popular writers and personalities, this collaborative effort has a writers sensibility and a Western point of view. Including recipes for drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and fun extras—as well as stories from and profiles of the contributors, this is both a Western book and a cookbook that moves beyond the genre.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook was edited by Nancy Plain and Sherry Monahan. Nancy Plain is an award-winning writer of biographies and histories for readers of all ages. Sherry Monahan has her own column (Frontier Fare) in and is a contributing editor for True West magazine.

Enter to win a copy of the

Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom

when you visit www.chrisenss.com.

Grass Valley, CA. – Take a literary ride with the Most Intrepid Western Author’s Posse as they travel through the great “Show Me State” of Missouri. The Most Intrepid Western Author’s Posse is comprised of five published, award-winning western authors; Monty McCord author of Mundy’s Law: The Legend of Joe Mundy and Hastings: The Queen of the Plains; Sherry Monahan author of Mrs. Earp: The Wives and Lovers of the Earp Brothers, The Cowboy Cookbook, and the Western Writers of America Cookbook; Bill Markley, author of Deadwood Dead Men and Dakota Epic: Experiences of a Reenactor During the Filming of Dances with Wolves, Kellen Cutsforth, author of Buffalo Bill, Boozers, Brothels, and Bare-Knuckle Brawlers: An Englishman’s Journal of Adventure in America and Chris Enss, author of Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother, Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West, Hearts West: Mail Order Brides of the Old West, and Object Matrimony: The Risky Business of Mail-Order Matchmaking on the Western Frontier will tell exciting tales of the Old West.

Stories told by the posse promise to transport readers back to the days of the wild frontier when times were rowdy and justice was swift.

The Most Intrepid Western Author’s Posse’s first stop will be in Saint Joseph at the historic Robidoux Row Museum on Saturday, June 17 from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M.  On Sunday, June 18 the Posse will be at Barnes and Noble at 19120 East 39^th St. in Independence from Noon to 1 P.M.  The Posse will be discussing their books and the taming of the Wild West.

For more information email gvcenss@aol.com.

HowardKazanjianArticle

Enter to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom.

This past week I announced the specifics of the launch of the WWA cookbook. The event will be held on June 22 at the Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza at 6 P.M. The editors and contributors of the book will be on hand to celebrate the release of The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom.

If I were clever I’d like to come up with some catchy jingle to promote the book. I remember most jingles. I wish the people who wrote those catchy commercial jingles in the ‘70s had taught at my high school – I think I would’ve retained a lot more useful knowledge. I don’t remember anything about geometry, but I do remember that when it says Libby’s, Libby’s, Libby’s on the label, label, label, you will like it, like it, like it, on your table, table, table. If I find myself alone in my car one more time singing “Plop-plop, fizz-fizz, oh what a relief it is,” I’m going to hunt down the mind-control individual who wrote that inspired Pavlovian haiku and demand he give me back that part of my brain.

Since I do not possess the skill to create such jingles I’ll simply remind readers that the launch of The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom will be held on June 22 at 6 P.M. at the Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom is filled with more than 150 recipes, anecdotes, and stories from some of America’s most popular writers and personalities, this collaborative effort has a writers sensibility and a Western point of view. Including recipes for drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and fun extras—as well as stories from and profiles of the contributors, this is both a Western book and a cookbook that moves beyond the genre.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook was edited by Nancy Plain and Sherry Monahan. Nancy Plain is an award-winning writer of biographies and histories for readers of all ages. Sherry Monahan has her own column (Frontier Fare) in and is a contributing editor for True West magazine.

Enter to win a copy of the Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom when you visit www.chrisenss.com.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom

Venue: Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza

Join the Editors & Contributors as they celebrate

the release of the book.

Date: June 22, 2017

Time: 6 P.M. – 7 P.M.

Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Visit www.westernwriters.org for more information.

Enter now to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom

Enter to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom.

I made Jim Jones’s Texas Chili and it did not disappoint. It was delicious. I needed something sweet to eat afterwards so I turned my attention to Liz Markley’s Chocolate Cake from Scratch. While the cake was baking I took some time to finalize travel arrangements for the WWA convention next month. I’m excited to attend the event and see all the good people involved with the organization, but not excited about flying.

Flying has turned into an amazingly arduous process, especially boarding the plane, which has now become this tedious Bataan death march with American Tourister overnight bags. I always get stuck behind the guy that takes forever to get situated. He clogs the aisle like a human piece of cholesterol jammed in the passengerial artery. If I am not behind the human piece of cholesterol I’m behind the wizard who wants to beat the system by gaffer-taping a twine handle onto a refrigerator-freezer box and calling it a “carry on.” It takes him forever to shove the box in the overhead bin.

And now all the flight attendants are touchy and cranky. You never know what’s going to set them off and whether or not you’ll be bounced from the flight. I know it’s a tough job. There’s got to be a thousand different ways to tie that neckerchief but why take it out on the rest of us?

You know who I feel sorry for in the whole air-travel scenario? It’s the poor guy who has to drive the jetway. You know that little accordion tentacle that weaves its way out to meet the plane? Everybody else is Waldo Pepperin’ around in their Bobby Lansing leather bombing jackets, the right stuff coursing through their veins as they push the outside of the envelope. Your job is to drive the building.

After enjoy several pieces of Liz Markley’s chocolate cake I’m convinced the way to bring peace between the passengers and crew is to serve everyone Liz’s cake. It’s exceptional. Things would work out even better if Liz served the cake herself. She is one of the nicest people in the world and she would never use a refrigerator-freezer box as luggage.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom is filled with more than 150 recipes, anecdotes, and stories from some of America’s most popular writers and personalities, this collaborative effort has a writers sensibility and a Western point of view. Including recipes for drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and fun extras—as well as stories from and profiles of the contributors, this is both a Western book and a cookbook that moves beyond the genre.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook was edited by Nancy Plain and Sherry Monahan. Nancy Plain is an award-winning writer of biographies and histories for readers of all ages. Sherry Monahan has her own column (Frontier Fare) in and is a contributing editor for True West magazine.

Enter to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom when you visit www.chrisenss.com.

Enter to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom.

Now that I’m spending a more time in the kitchen with the WWA cookbook I realize I need to go shopping for those things most found in kitchens. For example, oven mitts. I made Quackgrass Sally’s Myrna’s Marvelous Mashed Ranch Taters last night and when I went to take it out of the oven I realized I don’t even own any oven mitts. But luckily, since I’m a baseball fan, I had two Number One! foam hands. It made the presentation of Quackgrass Sally’s recipe oh so much more dramatic.

Myrna’s Marvelous Mashed Ranch Taters were indeed marvelous, but I did cheat a bit. The recipe called for a teaspoon of onion powder and I left that out. I hate onions. There’s only one other food I will not eat besides onions and that’s movie theatre hot dogs. I feel there are no USDA preparation guidelines for this meat. They used to be impaled on spears rotating inside a Timex case. Suddenly that’s gone and replaced by the foot massage-log roll jamboree. And they never look like they’re cooking; they just look like they’re sweating.

Think I’ll try and make Jim Jones’s Texas chili next. I’ll get some oven mitts, but I’m saving the foam hands for the next time the Royals win the World Series. The way the season is going though I may not get to use them for a while. Oh well, at least the recipes in the WWA cookbook are Number One!

The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom is filled with more than 150 recipes, anecdotes, and stories from some of America’s most popular writers and personalities, this collaborative effort has a writers sensibility and a Western point of view. Including recipes for drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and fun extras—as well as stories from and profiles of the contributors, this is both a Western book and a cookbook that moves beyond the genre.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook was edited by Nancy Plain and Sherry Monahan. Nancy Plain is an award-winning writer of biographies and histories for readers of all ages. Sherry Monahan has her own column (Frontier Fare) in and is a contributing editor for True West magazine.

Enter to win a copy of the

Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom when you visit www.chrisenss.com.

Enter to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom.

While purchasing ingredients to make one of the dishes included in the Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom I saw a product called Mr. Salty Pretzels. Isn’t that nerve? Everything nowadays is low salt or salt-free but here’s one company that believes the heck with that. Meet Mr. Salty Pretzels. More companies should be as honest when it comes to advertising their products. Like Mr. Tar and Nicotine Cigarettes or Mr. Gristle and Hard Artery Beefsteak.

After contemplating the merits of truth in advertising I pressed on and gathered all the items I would need to make Barbara Dan’s Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins. That recipe is included in the section of the WWA cookbook entitled Cowboy Up! Breakfasts and Quick Breads. According to Barbara Dan, “These muffins have been a long favorite of mine. When my father-in-law lived with my family, he and the children occasionally had a sore throat and had trouble swallowing. Fortunately, these soft, nutritious muffins were regarded as a treat by everyone.”

As I was mixing together the ingredients for the muffins I was thinking about the very thin woman that was standing behind me at the checkout stand earlier in the day. She was purchasing lettuce and Greek yogurt. She gave the items I was purchasing a once over and then tossed me a smile. “Good for you,” she said. “I wish I didn‘t care about what I ate. Summer is coming and I’ve got to keep in shape. Truth is, sometimes I forget to eat.” Now I’ve forgotten my mother’s maiden name, and my keys, but you’ve got to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat.

Barbara Dan’s Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins were delicious. The skinny, lettuce eater doesn’t know what she missed. I’m sure all the recipes in Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom are delicious.

Filled with more than 150 recipes, anecdotes, and stories from some of America’s most popular writers and personalities, this collaborative effort has a writers sensibility and a Western point of view. Including recipes for drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and fun extras—as well as stories from and profiles of the contributors, this is both a Western book and a cookbook that moves beyond the genre.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook was edited by Nancy Plain and Sherry Monahan. Nancy Plain is an award-winning writer of biographies and histories for readers of all ages. Sherry Monahan has her own column (Frontier Fare) in and is a contributing editor for True West magazine.

Enter to win a copy of the

Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom

when you visit www.chrisenss.com.

Muffin eaters unite!

Enter to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom

I don’t cook. I sustain largely on Pop Tarts (frosted cherry to be precise) and any cereal. I like the idea of just eating and drinking with one hand, without looking. Because I don’t cook I don’t really shop for food outside of the Cap’n Crunch aisle. I’m not familiar with the varieties of products available at the grocery store. For example, I was at the store not too long ago and accidentally found myself in a section with spaghetti sauce and salad dressing. Paul Newman’s face was on every item in that aisle it seemed. If I didn’t know he had passed away several years ago I would have thought he was missing.

But seriously…

I believe the Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom could change my eating habits. Although I am disappointed there are no Pop Tart recipes in the book I find myself wanting to cook after reading this manual.

Filled with more than 150 recipes, anecdotes, and stories from some of America’s most popular writers and personalities, this collaborative effort has a writers sensibility and a Western point of view. Including recipes for drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and fun extras—as well as stories from and profiles of the contributors, this is both a Western book and a cookbook that moves beyond the genre.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook was edited by Nancy Plain and Sherry Monahan. Nancy Plain is an award-winning writer of biographies and histories for readers of all ages. Sherry Monahan has her own column (Frontier Fare) in and is a contributing editor for True West magazine.

If you’d like to break out of your Pop Tart rut and take on a few delicious recipes this book is for you.

Enter to win a copy of 

The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom when you visit www.chrisenss.com.