Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 03-17-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

Congratulations to this month's chocolate chip cookie winners: Lois Cairl, Diana Newton, Marilyn Delaney and Michele D. Kelly. Be sure to watch for the UPS truck today. Your homemade chocolate chip cookies will be delivered. Happy dunking and enjoy! Please send a photo to share.

From my Chocolate Chip Cookie Email Bag:

"Dear Suzanne, greetings to you, I hope this email finds you in good spirits. You are always such an inspiration and I love reading with you. If you don't mind I have a special request that I would like for you to consider, if you are not too busy.

I work in a very large NYC law firm where the lawyers work long hours and very hard. One of the lawyers with whom I work is a lovely, kind and gentle woman, from a Midwest family of women who love to bake. Every year she takes vacation and returns home to bake with her mom and aunts. It's a family tradition. It's nice to see and hear about people still keeping traditions. I know traditions mean a lot to you, as they do to me. Her birthday is on St. Patrick's Day and I was wondering if perhaps, you could bake a batch of your delicious chocolate chip cookies and mail them to her. It would be such a lovely surprise, and she would have a great story to tell her mom and aunts. I plan to give her your book Muffins and Mayhem as a birthday gift, if you still have bookplates and can include one, it would be so cool.

If you can accommodate this last minute request, I am sure she would really love the present from you. Jessica receives packages almost every day, so it would really be a great surprise. I understand she plans to travel to Minnesota sometime this month, it's a story she can share with her mom and aunts in Minnesota. It will be a great introduction to your book club for all of them.

Thank you kindly, and most of all thank you for sharing books, the love of books, and yourself with so many people who look forward to hearing from you every day. All the best to you and your family always."

A devoted and faithful reader, Nancy Rodriguez

(Suzanne replies:) Nancy, it was a pleasure to be your Secret Cookie Baker. The cookies and autographed bookplate will arrive today.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: An Alaskan gift basket, French Valhrona chocolate and copies of this week's featured books could be yours if you click on the link below to meet this week's authors and enter to win.

Jill Eileen Smith/BATHSHEBA

Cara Black/MURDER IN PASSY

Erin Brockovich/ROCK BOTTOM

Kimberley and Kayla Woodhouse/NO SAFE HAVEN

Gayle Lynds/THE BOOK OF SPIES

Judith Choate/A READER'S COOKBOOK

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE SAGA OF GOSTA BERLING by Selma Lagerlof. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/March11Classics

 

Dear Reader Column 03-16-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

It's much easier for me to write how I feel about something when I've just experienced the moment. Even a simple, "Thank you, I loved it!" is more poignant and heartfelt the first time I thought about it. When I opened the box and looked inside that initial excitement is what I want the other person to hear and feel, too. But unless I tell them about it right away it takes a lot of work to get in touch with that initial joy, and the words are never quite as pure and explicit. That's why I tape record--in the moment--what I'm thinking. Then it's easier to find my way back to what I was feeling, when I'm ready to sit down and write or call to say thank you.

It may sound contrived, recording my thoughts, and some people might think it cheapens or takes away from the sincerity of my reply. (What if they knew I rehearsed and prepared for the thank you?) But I feel it's showing respect for someone else's thoughtfulness. They took the time to remember and they made me feel special, so I'm simply making the effort to do the same.

Isn't it funny how sometimes life needs an extra step to make it seem simple?

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE SAGA OF GOSTA BERLING by Selma Lagerlof. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/March11Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 03-15-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

It gives some folks, like my husband, a sense of security to keep receipts. Every single receipt, for every single thing we buy, even the cash register receipt for the bag of carrots I bought at the market yesterday; the carrots we ate for dinner last night.

"You never know, Suzanne, we might need that receipt."

Yes, dear, you never know. Three days from now we might get a bad case of carrot salmonella and lucky us, we'd have the receipt for evidence. But following my husband's logic, wouldn't we also need to save the plastic bag the carrots came in? The bag with the printed barcode showing when the carrots were picked, processed, shipped and received by the store. Shouldn't we have saved the rest of the "evidence," too?

This is why we have boxes in our house marked, (or worse, unmarked) SAVE! Because it's comforting for my husband to know that even though our electric fondue pot quit working twelve years ago, so we threw it out--at least we still have the receipt. Ah, the memories!

My husband might not agree, but when I hear, "The receipt's in a box somewhere," translated, what it really means is, "The receipt might as well be in the trash pile at the dump." Boxes of receipts and stuff we thought we might need some day, boxes we pay $59.95 a month to store (houses in Florida don't have basements).

What could I buy with $719.40 each year? A long weekend in a nice hotel, shoes, or what about a real day of pampering? The total spa package: a massage, manicure, pedicure, and facial. But, not to worry dear, of course I'll save the receipt!

* Congratulations to the winners of the March Kite Giveaway: Pauline Pricone and Samantha Cummins.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.muffinsandmayhem.com/

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE SAGA OF GOSTA BERLING by Selma Lagerlof. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/March11Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 03-14-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

It's blue, it's paperback, it's a memoir (including secrets about Suzanne), it's filled with good things to eat AND it's almost here!

The paperback version of my book, MUFFINS AND MAYHEM: RECIPES FOR A HAPPY (if disorderly) LIFE will be released April 5th. You can preorder a copy at your favorite online book seller, right now.

Visit http://www.muffinsandmayhem.com/ and create your own Cookbook of Memories, see videos, request a signed bookplate for your personal copy, or if you're giving a copy of my book to a friend and read a sample from the book.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about my book. I sure do appreciate it.

From my MUFFINS AND MAYHEM Email Bag:

"Suzanne, I was so thrilled when I noticed that our library had purchased your book! I liked it even better when I opened it and it was in large print. I'm a younger person, but large print is so much easier on the eyes. I have read your column for several years now, and I thought I knew a lot about you. I had no idea of some of the trials and tribulations you have been through and it really made me appreciate you as a person. You write many columns about your shortcomings and lack of confidence in yourself. But I have never thought of you that way. You are so brave to have endured becoming an early mother, owning a couple of businesses, starting a children's cooking class and pitching your idea about your book emails and column, when no one wanted to give you a chance. I think persistence is a virtue and you were blessed because your persistence has served you well. You have wonderful friends all over who love you. We appreciate you.

I think one of my favorite stories in your book is when you visited the elderly lady and you had communion with her. You made a dear friend and really benefited from her friendship. I wish we could all have a friend like you because the world would be a better place. Thank you,"--Leslie Byrne

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE SAGA OF GOSTA BERLING by Selma Lagerlof. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/March11Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 03-11-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

This past Wednesday--it was ALL ABOUT EGGS--my first time teaching a cooking class at Primrose School and it was marvelous. Students learned how to crack and separate eggs by hand (the kids were messy, but very impressive), scramble eggs (they ate for lunch), then we made deviled eggs, and each child took some home to share with their family.

Nineteen students, ages five to seven, 447 eggs, three teachers from the school assisting me, along with my husband "Mr. Bob." Not only did the students learn new things, this teacher learned something new, too. You'd better mean what you say when you're cooking with kids. My instructions, "When you're done putting the filling in your deviled eggs, if you've broken some of the egg halves, raise your hand and I'll show you how to mend them. We'll put a Band-aid on and fix them right up."

But worried Amy asked, "Mrs. Suzanne, how are we going to eat the deviled eggs if there's a Band-aid on them?"

I loved cooking with the kids, but I think my favorite part of the day was when we read the book GOOD EGG, by Barney Saltzburg. It's a simple story about teaching an egg to do tricks. Open a flap in the book, slide a strip of paper and the egg actually sits, speaks, rolls over, and shakes (Yes, we were all standing up shaking our behinds!) and of course every egg needs encouragement: "GOOD EGG" we were all shouting together after each page. Two times reading the book and it was back to egg class. I'm including a book in each of my upcoming cooking classes. I can't wait for the next class when we make cupcakes from scratch, because the book I've chosen is WHOPPER CAKE, by Karma Wilson and Will Hillenbrand. Grandpa makes Grandma a cake, but Grandpa gets carried away with the ingredients and ends up mixing the cake in the back of his pickup truck. So of course, I'll be mixing my cupcakes in the back of a huge kid's truck, using a plastic shovel.

It's easy to fall in love with kids especially when they ask, "Are you coming back again Mrs. Suzanne? This was fun."

The kids were adorable, yes, they were all GOOD EGGS.

I'll be able to share some photos with you soon.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE SAGA OF GOSTA BERLING by Selma Lagerlof. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/March11Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 03-10-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com

Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

I feel like a Secret Santa--yes, I know this is March, not December. But a reader, who will remain nameless, emailed a hush-hush request, asking if I would bake for someone in her office. She works in a very large New York City law firm, and one of the lawyers she works with is...

I guess I better not say anymore, it's supposed to be a surprise. But I'll tell you all about it, once the cookies have arrived in New York. It's a cute story.

Since this "Secret Cookie Baker" is mixing up a homemade batch of cookies to send to New York City, it seems like the perfect time to do the March Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway. To see photos of some of last month's winners, and to enter this month's drawing for homemade chocolate chip cookies, goto: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cookies031011.html

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.muffinsandmayhem.com/

AUTHORBUZZ: This week read about new books, meet the authors and enter to win books and ball caps.

Mesu Andrews/LOVE AMID THE ASHES

Ellery Adams/A DEADLY CLICHE: A BOOKS BY THE BAY MYSTERY

Laura Childs/SCONES & BONES, A TEA SHOP MYSTERY

HelenKay Dimon/VICTORIA'S GOT A SECRET

Linda Fairstein/SILENT MERCY

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE SAGA OF GOSTA BERLING by Selma Lagerlof. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/March11Classics

 

Dear Reader Column 03-09-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

I have a list and I have plans. I feel good about myself when I'm busy, but some days, like today, I have no choice but to stop the busyness. Because my body says, "No."

Good stress, bad stress, it makes no difference. I have days like this because of my eye disorder, Benign Essential Blepharospasm (BEB). Too much stress is debilitating and if I keep pushing, eventually my body says, "That's it!" My eyes shut down and the rest of my body does, too.

I'm thankful for the built-in reminder that life is more than a to-do list. Well, the truth is I only get to the "thankful" part, after putting up a good fight. But eventually I listen to what my body is trying to tell me. "In order to enjoy the busyness of life, Suzanne, every now and then we need to take a rest."

Allowing myself to rest and do nothing is a difficult lesson for me to learn. Hard work got gold stars when I was growing up. Work hard and you'll be rewarded. But the truth is after I work hard, I find great rewards in resting. The creative part of me recharges and I'm excited about the busyness of life again.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE SAGA OF GOSTA BERLING by Selma Lagerlof. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/March11Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 03-08-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

My first cooking class, ALL ABOUT EGGS, with 5-to-8 year old kids is tomorrow morning. I'm so excited. (I'll let you know later this week what happened.) The plan is to learn how to crack and separate eggs, (by hand and using an egg separator) scrambling eggs for lunch, reading the story Good Egg, by Barney Saltzberg, learning how to tell the difference between a raw egg and a hard boiled egg--did we guess right? Or did the raw egg end up on the floor? Splat! And we'll also be making deviled eggs.

That's my lesson plan, but things don't always go like you plan in the kitchen, but that's one of the neat things about cooking with kids. It's an exciting adventure. I was amazed when I started cooking with Paul, my three-year-old grandson (who also attends the school), because I didn't realize until we started making cupcakes from scratch, that everything was new to him. How do you level flour? How do you crack an egg? "Look at how the batter changes color as it mixes, Grandma!" Each time my grandson and I cook together, we are creating memories that will last forever--and they taste good, too!

I've been experimenting with new cupcake recipes for the kids to make, something with a little surprise inside. This past weekend I found the perfect recipe, a yummy chocolate cupcake with a surprise chocolate kiss inside.

To get a copy of the cupcake recipe and to see the eggs with the funny faces (my daughter-in-law drew faces on the eggs that the kids will crack tomorrow) goto: http://tinyurl.com/6cd3mxs

Today's new Penguin Classic is THE SAGA OF GOSTA BERLING by Selma Lagerlof. Start reading it right now, goto: http://tinyurl.com/March11Classics

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 03-07-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

A few years ago a friend sent me a brooch along with a note. "This was my mother's and I thought you might enjoy it." My friend's mother had recently passed away. I was touched, but a little confused. Why was she sending me the brooch, instead of keeping it herself? But then I remembered my mother's clown outfits.

After my mother passed, sorting through her things was an emotional and overwhelming task. Obviously I couldn't keep everything, most of Mom's things I boxed up and gave to charity. But some things that had been very special to my mother, like her clown outfits (she was a clown every year in her hometown parade), I didn't want to keep the clown costumes, but I did want to find them a good home.

One costume was pink with stripes and polka-dots, the other was a multi-colored blue, red, green, and yellow. I remember my mother telling the story about how she made her first pink clown outfit. "I couldn't find a pattern (knowing Mom she was probably trying to save money), so I laid down on the floor, on top of a long piece of brown mailing paper, and I had the neighbor lady draw around my body. There isn't any form to a clown outfit. It's just a baggy piece of material to slip into, then pull the string around the neck and tie it off. Add some pink yarn pom-poms down the front, sew a scalloped collar, put on make-up, add a colored wig and I'm a clown."

Not only was Mom a clown every year in the parade, every now and then, at her crossing guard job, she'd be clownin' around (in costume) while helping school kids cross the street. So what to do with the clown outfits? I couldn't just box them up for charity, and that's when a neighbor knocked on the door.

Casserole in hand, the neighbor lady offered her condolences and then went on to tell me her memories of my mother dressing up like a clown. Secretly confessing that some day she'd like to be as bold as my mother, and be a clown in the parade, instantly I knew I'd found a good home. "Hang Mom's clown costumes in your closet," I told the neighbor, "they'll be waiting for you, when you're ready."

It started with the brooch, and every now-and-then someone else's treasure shows up looking for a good home.

"I wanted you to have this apron my aunt made for me forty years ago, when I got married."

A beloved brooch and an apron that had been in a family for 40 years...I'm honored to give them a good home.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE SAGA OF GOSTA BERLING by Selma Lagerlof. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/March11Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader
 

Dear Reader Column 03-04-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

Looking back through some of my old journals I discovered these words. I remember the day I wrote them. They changed the final days I spent with my mother, and writing down the words changed the way I live my life.

When the daughter heard the news that her mother was dying of cancer, at first she lived each day thinking, "My mother is dying." She'd repeat that thought to herself many times a day. And the daughter's days were very, very, sad. Too sad. So she changed her thinking and started reaffirming to herself, "My mother is living today."

Yes, her mother was going to die, but right now she was alive. The daughter realized that letting herself grieve a bit ahead of time was good, but she didn't want to spend the last days she had with her mother, seeing her through the eyes of death, but rather through the joy of life.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

KIDSBUZZ: Email an author, sign up for their giveaway, and learn about great books for kids and teens about the color pink, penguins and science, Typhoid Mary, fantasy and another world from Renee Khatami, LITTLE PINK BOOK; Pat Jacobs, I WONDER WHY PENGUINS CAN'T FLY; Julie Chibbaro, DEADLY; and Jim Ware, THE STONE OF DESTINY. For a chance to win free books and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader