Barnes and Noble and Bearful Bear, Friends at Last!

Excitement is one way to put it.  Thrilled is another.  Oh yes, I am pleased to announce that Barnes and Noble has picked up "Bearful Bear and his new Moves" in paperback!!!  Now, this doesn't mean that you will see 10 copies stacked nicely on display at every Barnes and Noble across the country, but what it means is that they have it stocked in their warehouse, and every Barnes and Noble can easily order it.  As they receive more demand for it (by devoted fans asking for it at their help desks), they will eventually start stocking it! 

So now, I'm asking for your help!  When you are looking for a great, personal gift for a new baby, grandchild, donation to a school, etc. Please go and ask for it at your local bookstores!  This is a great way to support new authors, whoever they may be.  As I've said from the beginning, I am so blessed by those of you who have been so supportive of me and my venture of becoming an author!  All of these are mini wins for us, as the publishing industry is one tough cookie to crack!  But, HERE WE ARE, Bearful!!! 

A few practical things you can do to help (if you feel so inclined :))

1. Tell your friends about this blog or the book!
2. Ask for your bookstore to carry "Bearful Bear and his new Moves"!
3. Write a review of the book at www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com

Have I mentioned that I appreciate you?!?!  Thanks for reading- truly...you have no idea what it means to know that someone reads this blog and cares...that I'm not alone on an island with a beautiful book that no one has seen or heard. 

Love,
Anna

And the Winner Is....

                            Barb Perkins!!! 

You won a FREE autographed copy of Bearful Bear and his new Moves!!!  Thank you so much for sharing my teaser trailer on your social media sites!!  Your support is so meaningful to me!! 

Thanks to all of you who shared my trailer...there will be more giveaways, as always...so please keep up with me via this blog, my Facebook author page, Anna Lee Everhart, or on twitter, @AnnaLeeEverhart!  To purchase the book, click here for hardcover or here for paperback!

Thank you so much for your support!!
Love,
Anna

"Bearful Bear and his new Moves" Teaser Trailer and Giveaway!

I awoke this morning to an email from my BQB marketing manager, the fantabulous Julie Breedlove, with an adorable teaser trailer for my children's book, "Bearful Bear and his new Moves!"  I couldn't wait to share it with you, and I would love for you to share it with your friends!!  I also thought this would be a great opportunity to offer a GIVEAWAY!!!  If you watch the teaser trailer on YouTube and then share it with your Facebook friends or via email, let me know in the comments section, and I will enter you in a drawing for a FREE, Autographed copy of "Bearful Bear and his new Moves"!  PLEASE leave me an email or Facebook name so that I can contact the winner, if you are not already "friends" with me on Facebook. 

I am sure you have a youngster in your life who would benefit from this children's book, which incorporates movement with language development using lovable animal characters!  Let me know what you think!

Bearful Teaser Trailer

Happy Giveaway day!!
Anna

Southeast Taco's

It's "Real Food Recipe Tuesday", peeps!  And last night, I made one to remember!  Making homemade tortillas has been on my to-do list for months, and I finally got around to making them.  You don't have to feed your family GMO tortillas!  You can even soak (sprout) them for the all around, perfect tortilla.  And on top, we're straying from our well-known southwest tacos and Mexican Taqueria tacos, and instead, marrying the flavors of the southeast with Taqueria comfort.  The result?  A match made in heaven, shall we say? 

For toppings, get creative!  I used Georgia trout that I caught with my family on Father's day, vidalia onion and tomato salsa (from Sun Harvest, my families favorite citrus stop in Ft. Myers, FL), jalapeno cream I made with my homemade yogurt, and Guacamole made from yummy Florida Avocados!  Here's today's recipe in full:

Tortillas 
*This recipe is NOT my own recipe.  I got it from Bon Appetit mag.  It is a very simple dough, and for full instructions, click here.  A few notes for you grain soakers...to soak this recipe, I would add 1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar to the dough along with the water and let soak overnight.  Otherwise, you can follow all other instructions! 

Tortillas:
2 cups fresh corn meal
1 cup water (replace 1 tbsp. ACV if soaking)
1/2 tsp. salt
The consistency should resemble play dough.  Roll into balls about 1-1.2 inch in diameter.  You want the tortillas small so they are easy to handle.  Some people have a tortilla press, but I don't, so I used my bacon press, and it worked great!  Place one ball of dough between two layers of lightly oiled plastic wrap. (I cut 2 sides of a sandwich bag so three sides were open), like this:

press the ball between the plastic until it is about 1/8 inch thick.  Remove carefully from the plastic wrap and set directly in an oiled fry pan set over medium high heat. I had a few "fall apart", but just quickly pushed it back together on the pan with my spatula.  Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, and 1 minute on the second side.  The Bon Appetit recipe had a different time listed, but that didn't seem to be enough time for mine...you will just have to play with it the first tortilla or two.  Keep the tortillas warm in a dry kitchen towel while you work. 

Toppings

1 Whole Trout, about 1.5 lbs. (or 2 fillets if you would like to avoid skin and bones)
Cajun spices
1 avocado
1 lime
1 small jalapeno
3/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 jar of vidalia onion salsa (or your favorite salsa)
salt and pepper

First make the fish.  Sprinkle the inside of the whole fish with Cajun spices, salt and pepper.  Cook on medium low in a greased, covered pot (I used my fabulous Creuset), for 20-25 minutes, until flaky. 

Meanwhile, prepare a simple guacamole using your avocado, lime, salt and pepper.  Mash up with a fork, and set on a plate along with the salsa.  To make your jalapeno cream, mix diced jalapenos (take care to avoid touching the seeds while chopping, wearing gloves or chopping in a food chopper.).  Combine jalapenos with 3/4 cup yogurt or sour cream, and a dash of salt.  Set this along with your other toppings.  You can create a very simple taco bar with these 4 delicious toppings. 

Once your fish is cooked, remove fish from skin and bones, and lightly shred or cut into larger pieces if you wish. 

Assemble your tacos with fish, then guacamole and jalapeno cream, and finally the beautiful red salsa.  Eat slowly, savoring the fine combinations of summer at it's best!

From my real food home to yours,
Anna

Simple Things, Like a Poem

What better way to pause and "smell the roses" during the day than to read a poem?  A poem, cramming 100 years in few words forces us to slow down and take it in, thought by thought, word by word. 

I was browsing through my documents, and found a document titled, "Poem Battle".  I thought to myself...."what is this?"  So of course, my curiosity made me open it to remember this moment.  It was none other than an old IM conversation with a very old friend, where we wrote poems about "simple Things."  I thought I would share it with you to inspire some simple matters that will hopefully help you pause for a moment. 

beanapie8 wrote:

life has such complexities

which lack and burn
and which brightness dies
and choosing this, I hope in turn
the truth reveals
to live, to rely
on simple things
that much is truth
and complexities
burn forsooth

NPoser1123 wrote: Simple Things

Pain is a simple thing we enjoy
Just for being simple;
An easily digestible
Elephant in our daily meals.
We wake up hurt and yawning sorely
Have our shower to rinse
The wince on our morning face.
And brush our teeth of hope.
We've done naught, but seemingly
Abound in our unknowing

Because little simple things

Are so inscrutable found!
So because they're all simple things
We all live unheeding of
Their tiny, daily damage
That lacks and burns in our "small" lives.
O, Give me honest complexity
In my search for truth and joy!
Give me deep, hard mystery
Impossible puzzles to solve.
Give me full-bodied, unedited
Challenging lives of people;
Their contradictions laid bare
And yet completely nonplusing.
If in simple things we had relied
We would exist only as
Simpletons to each other;
Would the brightness not truly die?

Hope you enjoyed your moment,
Anna