Lazy Passions

Hey there noble blog readers! I hope you all have had a chance to pick up Lesley's book, Wondrous Strange. It's beautifully written with exciting plot twists and some really neat mythology running through the story fabric. This week marks our party for the paperback release of the book.

So, if you missed the chance to enjoy this fab book in hardcover, make sure to pick it up in paperback! You won't be sorry, I promise!

And to celebrate, Lesley is giving away a signed paperback copy of Wondrous Strange! So, same rules apply this week. Leave a comment on any post this week to be entered. Look to the sidebar on the right for more ways to win. Also, everyone who comments will be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card, to be given away at the end of the month!

As Tracy mentioned, Lesley picked the topic of "passions" for this week. And my passion is somewhat similar to Tracy's. But while I do enjoy cooking and eating more than I should, I'm going to focus on my passionate love of The Food Network in this post.

I write everyday when I put my son down for a nap. And as I'm type-type-typin' away (or, you know, staring at a blinking cursor), I always have The Food Network on in the background. There's something so comforting about watching Paula Deen add another stick of butter into a casserole or Rachael Ray say "E.V.O.O." It's all so predictable and inviting. And their dishes always look perfect, and they make it look so easy and totally do-able thanks to the soft music and precise editing.

For awhile, I tried to translate this passion into my own cooking, to very little success. I found that while I enjoyed watching other people make delicious risotto, I often either screwed it up, got bored or was so tired by the time I finished that all I wanted to do was order a pizza. Of course, that's not to say everything I made was a disaster--but it was nothing like the visceral experience of watching someone else cook and taste their food at the end of the show.

(Side note: It always cracks me up when the host tries their own creation at the end. They always say, "YUM! OMG!" As if they're going to be all, "Ew! Sick! This is awful! Don't try this one, folks!")

So, my passion, if you could call it that, is good food like Tracy.

I just want you to cook it for me.