Jennifer M Schmidt

Asperger's Syndrome

2012-01-21T14:43:00.000-06:00

I learned about my having Asperger's a little over a year ago. At first I kept it quiet - only telling family members and close friends, not so much to hide it as because I didn't realize it was important. I have since decided that it is a major part of me and that it truly does set me apart. For me, it is something to be celebrated. Many people either have never heard of it, or they have weird/derogatory ideas about it. How will this ever change if someone like me dooesn't talk about it openly? This blog will not only be about my creativity, but also about my Asperger's Syndrome [which, for me, is one in the same].

New Site

2012-01-17T12:29:00.000-06:00

I've been away for quite a long time and would like to announce my new website: http://jennifermschmidt.weebly.com It is the hub for all of the many forms of creativity that I pursue.

Snow Day and Yummy Food

2011-01-20T06:27:00.000-06:00

My alma mater, Webster University, is actually CLOSED TODAY. This makes twice in a decade, if memory serves.

In other news, here are two fantastic recipes that make one fantastic meal:
Chicken and Apple Curry from allrecipes.com
3 tablespoons butter
2 small onion, chopped
2 apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped [I use Fuji]
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon curry powder
8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup hot chicken broth
1 cup milk
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Saute apple and onion in butter or margarine until tender. Add curry powder and saute 1 minute more. Add flour and continue to cook 1 minute longer. Add stock or broth and milk; stir well.
Salt and pepper chicken breasts to taste and lay in a single layer in a 9x13 inch (or larger) baking dish. Pour sauce mixture over chicken breasts and bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until chicken is done.

I serve it with:

Garam Marsala Rice from Food.com

1 1/3 cups white rice

2 cups vegetable broth

1/3 tablespoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon coriander

1/3 tablespoon olive oil

Bring vegetable broth to a boil over high heat.
Stir in all ingredients and return to boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Fluff and serve.

NaNoWriMo

2010-12-20T06:15:00.000-06:00

I participated in my first NaNoWriMo in November, getting a first draft of my fantasy book written. I'd only found out about the challenge a few days before it began AND was assisting my sister with her wedding plans [she was married Nov 6th in St Thomas - it was gorgeous!], and so I'm not ashamed in the least that I fell short of the 50k goal. I got to 35k, which is phenomenal!

I'm writing about fairies, but I'm hesitant to call it a 'fairy tale.' A good chunk of it is looking at the origins of evil, nurture vs. nature, and at all the gray areas between good and evil. There's war, betrayal, love, death, hate, humor and more. It is entitled The Book of Tollner.