Blake's Grilled Cheese Recipe / Very Inspiring Blogger Award

EXCERPT from 30 SECONDS:

“I figured if you wanted to cause me harm, you sure as hell wouldn’t be cooking for me.”

He shrugged as he continued to stir. “I thought you’d be hungry.”

“You thought right. The last time I had something to eat was a bagel at one o’clock this morning.”

“Then you’re starving.”

She chuckled. “I am.”

He motioned for her to sit at the table. “I don’t know what you like, so I made everything I know how to cook.” He set a plate on the green placemat in front of her. She looked at it and grinned. He had made a tomato grilled cheese sandwich, homemade mashed potatoes, and spaghetti.

Blake sat across from her with his own plate and looked at her. “Why are you smiling at the food?”

“No reason,” she insisted. “It’s exactly what I would’ve made.”

“Is that bad?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s good. It looks good.”

With that said, she dug right into her food. The cheese was gooey, the mashed potatoes were excellent, and the spaghetti tasted like it came from an Italian restaurant. And she ate every last bite. “Those mashed potatoes were fabulous,” she claimed.

“My grandmother’s recipe. It was the only thing she was able to teach me how to cook. My sister is the chef in the family. That spaghetti sauce was hers.”

“She makes her own spaghetti sauce?”

“She uses it in her restaurant and sells it to her customers. She gives me a couple of jars every month.”

“Tell your sister she makes the best damn sauce I’ve ever tasted. And that grilled cheese was also the best I ever had. No lie.”

“Well now, I created the grilled cheese on my own.” He picked up the plates and set them in the sink.

“I’m going to go up and take a shower. The door will be unlocked if you need me.”

“Okay.” She didn’t know why the little detail about the door being unlocked while he was wet and naked had her heart racing.

Oh, wait, that’s why!

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I didn’t describe Blake’s grilled cheese sandwich like in the recipe below, but when I thought more about how Blake would’ve made it, he told me. It’s a bit gourmet than your traditional white sandwich bread and American cheese combo, but it’s delicious!

Blake’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Need:

Two slices of thickly sliced bread

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Shredded cheddar cheese

Tomato, diced

Butter

Garlic powder

1. Mix a dash of garlic powder into a tablespoon (or so) of butter. Slather the garlic butter onto two slices of thickly sliced bread, such as Italian, French, or Cubano.

2. Heat a skillet, set one slice of bread, buttered side down, onto skillet.

3. Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese on top.

4. Add diced tomatoes, top with an equal amount of shredded cheddar cheese and the other slice of bread, buttered side up.

5. Brown each side to a nice golden. Cut in half, let cool, and enjoy!

NOTE: Blake says you can omit the garlic better if you want. But to add flavor, you can smear a little basil pesto on the inside of the bread before adding the shredded mozzarella cheese.

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Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Thank you so much, Sherry Ellis, for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Getting one of these awards from a fellow blogger always feels like an incredible honor, and it never dulls. Lidy Wilks nominated me for this award a few days later. Thank you! :) 

Below I am sharing 3 things that have inspired me recently. When I had to nominate bloggers, I had a major brain fart and I wanted to get this up quickly, so I only nominated 6 people. If you’re reading this though, I nominate you too! :)

The Rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and link to their blog.

2. Display the award logo.

3. Nominate 15 other bloggers (more or less) and provide a link where they may be found.

4. Go to their blog, leave a comment to let them know they have been nominated.

5. Mention three things that inspired you the most during the past few weeks.

Three Things that Inspired Me Recently:

1. I have been listening to the song “Chandelier” by Sia on repeat for days. I remember when I first heard it on a trailer for a movie last year and my ears perked up like a dog expecting a treat. I desperately wanted to know who the singer was and what the song title was, but time went by and I still didn’t know. Silly me, I could’ve Googled it or just listened to the newest album for a singer I like. Well, I finally stumbled upon it last week and I’ve been listening to “Chandelier” ever since while writing book 3 in my Disaster Crimes series. The rest of the songs on Sia’s album “1000 Forms of Fear” are also amazing! The video for “Chandelier” is also inspiring.

2. Roland Yeoman recently posted his 8 Simple Rules. While reading each one I was nodding in agreement. His posts are always thoughtful, but this one really inspired me because he shared a story with us that demonstrated how bad life can get, but he followed it with a reminder of how blessed we are.

3. I’ve wanted to go to Ireland for years, and next year I may just get the chance, so I’ve been doing research on Ireland and writing things down in a pretty journal I got for Christmas. Planning a dream vacation that may actually happen feels wonder, and Ireland, a place of mystery and magic, has always inspired me.

Nominations:

Roland Yeomans' posts are creative and thoughtful. Sometimes the ghost of Mark Twain takes over his blog.

Arlee Bird created the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. How much more inspiring can you get? You can sign up NOW! 

Gina Stoneheart is a dear friend of mine. Her posts are insightful.

Lisa Thomson blogs about marriage and divorce. You don’t need to be going through divorce to appreciate her advice. I often use her tips for relationships with my family and friends.

Stephen Tremp blogs a lot about space, which I love! The stars, moon, and planets have inspired me ever since I was a kid.

Cherdo's posts are funny and sarcastic. They make me smile and a smile is always inspiring.

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QUESTIONS: Do you have a ingredient you use when you make grilled cheese? When was the last time you had a grilled cheese sandwich? I had one for lunch yesterday! :) What has inspired you recently?

SALE! Hurricane Crimes is on sale for 99 cents! Get it here:
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