Parent's Day in the Republic

Happy Mother's Day! It seemed like a lovely opportunity to provide an update, some fun lore, a recipe, and other goodies to you---whether you have human or critter or plant children at home!

My son is nearly three and a half, showing little hints of the kid he will be, which is delightful... while still holding on to certain aspects of babyhood, both adorable and infuriating. He loves to help me bake (though he cannot be trusted with strawberries or left alone with a batter spoon), so this last Friday we made Earth Republic-style muffins and blueberry loaf. All came out delightfully sticky and light, and he'd like to eat all of the muffins in one sitting, of course---with the pride of a true gourmand.

Parents' Day in the Earth Republic

One thing we know is true: the Earth Republic, especially on-planet, loves civic holidays. They're a great chance for professionals to have a day off, for essential workers to have reduced hours, for institutions to provide themed enjoyment, and for folks to spend their entertainment and goods credits. If you've ever spent a lot of time in an institution---and most people in the Republic are heavily institutionalized, one way or another---then you know how drab and samey it can start to feel. Drabness feels oppressive, and while institutional settings are often truly oppressive in the objective sense of the word, it's bad for morale if they feel that way all the time. Civic holidays are a good way of breaking up the gray monotony and making people feel appreciated.

Mother's and Father's Days are no longer recognized in the Republic; instead, they celebrate Children's Day (April) and Parents' Day (July). Both are celebrated on weekdays every year, always on a Friday. Why? The government sets the dates specially to assure professionals take small trips and spend their three-day weekends on leisure activities. Packages, which cost travel and entertainment credits, are offered to people based on perceived interest and available resources. These deals and offers help spread tourism and traffic around evenly, carefully maintaining balances in supply and demand. All of this is accomplished through constant monitoring of entertainment, travel, and goods credit spends across the economy by individuals. Computers crunch these numbers and experts analyze them, then travel advisors offer deals as holidays approach. Sometimes Welfare Offices get involved, prescribing not-so-optional vacations.

You don't want the Welfare Office breathing down your neck and acting like you might be "dysfunctional"; best spend those credits.

For Parents' Day, young children do not get the day off school. Parents might take them out of school if they like, but schools remain open. Instruction may be non-standard, as teachers with children have a holiday; it's more like daycare. Older kids---from about twelve---may have the day off at Indoc, and often spend the day roving about in packs, having fun at VRcades or filling up the movie theaters.

What do parents do? Enjoy easy continental breakfasts at the canteens (Hospitality often being parents too), lounge by pools, have communal residential parties, day drink, go on little trips while their kids stay in Indoc-provided creche, or maybe check out a love hotel. This blueberry muffin loaf would be perfect for a July tray bake at the canteen, prepared the night before to make breakfast easy.

Navy Grub Guide Blueberry Muffins/Loaf

In the Republic on Earth in the 2140s/2150s, most people eat communally. It is a central premise of anything we make for the Grub Guide, or generally from among institutional foods of the Republic, that recipes be considered in large batches for huge communities of people, chiefly served in canteens or mess halls. However, we also like to consider how a modern-day kitchen might deal with the recipe, and of course plenty of people in the Republic still cook at home... at least part of the time.

You can, as we did, use this same batter in muffin tins, in a loaf pan, or in a tray bake (like a sheet cake). Republic institutions famously prefer sweets in tray bakes. Coffee cake, "muffin loaves," breakfast breads... whatever it is, it's probably served in a big tray and involves minimal assembly effort. Anything that can be mixed and poured is ideal. Variations on a central mass-produced batter (here, the muffin loaf batter) are key to institutional cooking logic. Same recipe, small changes.

Lastly, baking recipes in the Republic are vegan. Not because the Republic is vegan, but because large dairy and egg-farming operations are things of the past, and substances like eggs, milk, butter, yogurt, sour cream, and cheese are heritage goods, not plentiful, and served to be highlighted---never as casual ingredients, certainly not in baking. The baking paradigm in the Republic has much in common with WW2 rationing, except the constant incorporation of mashed (often frozen) banana, and the use of unsweetened soy milk.

For this recipe, I recommend starting with a dry blueberry muffin mix without fats, dried eggs, or dairy. We like the one from Trader Joe's, but you can also mix up your own, as suits. You'll want dried blueberries for that institutional flavor, but fresh aren't totally off the menu. (If you use fresh, just wash the blueberries, dry them, then lightly flour them before adding to the batter. This will keep them evenly distributed throughout your bakes.)

Any mix that makes twelve muffins should do. Expand and double, triple, or quadruple the recipe for more.

Recipe: Earth Republic Blueberry Muffin Loaf (or Muffins)

You will need:

• 1 Blueberry muffin box mix that makes twelve muffins, preferably with dried blueberries (or a plain, basic muffin mix plus 1 cup of dried blueberries)

• 1 soft banana, sans peel (bonus if frozen and thawed)

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce (pear sauce is a fine replacement)

• 1/3rd cup unsweetened soy milk (modern people may also add cow's milk instead, if this is easier)

• Canola oil spray or parchment paper (for loaf) and/or muffin cups

• For fun: Some orange juice for soaking your blueberries

• My variation: I like to add a little bourbon vanilla extract.

Set your oven temp to that stated on the box; ours was 375 degrees F.

Start by soaking your blueberries, giving them at least ten minutes to rehydrate. You can cover them with water or, if you're feeling whimsical, some orange juice. In ten minutes, drain them off. If you used orange juice, keep it and enjoy your tasty purple drink! Great with some pineapple juice and rum, if you're feeling particularly naval.

Mash your banana well in a large bowl. A toddler is a great help here. Once it's well-smushed, and you've (mostly) kept little fingers from snagging a taste, add your applesauce. Mix. Then add the dry team and your milk on top. Use a silicone spatula and mix until incorporated, then add your blueberries (drained). Fold in; do not overmix.

Prepare your pans: We did six muffins and a loaf. You may instead do twelve muffins, two loaves, or one 9x13 cake pan. I like parchment paper for this, because it doesn't add any flavors we would not have in the Republic, like Pam butter flavoring, but you can use a neutral canola oil. Anything to keep it from sticking.

Fill your muffin papers 2/3rds full, and your loaf pans or cake pan no more than half full. Get 'em into the oven.

Muffins: Should take about 20 minutes. Take them out when they're golden brown.

Loaves: Should take about 30 minutes, but test the middle at 25 minutes. A little mushy banana might come out; this is fine. Just make sure the batter is cooked.

Cake pan: Depends on how deep you filled the pan and how cold your ingredients were. Check in after 25 min; may take as many as 38.

Remove, cool, and enjoy---preferably in community! Great with homemade strawberry jam for Parents' Day!

Updates Around Here!

I'm enjoying my Mother's Day by writing whatever I want, while not worrying about graphics or edits or layout for the press. It's good to have a day. :)

My yellow roses grow in wild profusion, almost enough to boggle the mind; I can't believe such a small plant is producing so many!

My patio is a nice writing refuge at the moment, and wonderful for hanging out with friends and family; I love it out there in May. The grapevines now screen out the sun, and my rosemary and citronella are huge and fragrant. My cat continues snuggly (helpful, as she thinks of it), and my kiddo moved up to Primary in preschool as he finishes up his journey into potty training (still a struggle, but we're getting there). I'm proud of him, and I know he's happy to have rejoined some of his friends who moved up before him.

I have another eye surgery coming up on May 15th, so I'll be mostly recovered before Strategicon. The vision in my eyes is pretty far apart now, and I am back to wearing glasses for most activities---different ones, no less!---so it will be nice to get that (hopefully) fixed. When you're as blind as I started out, it can be hard to get it right the first time. I am grateful to be able to find my glasses without my glasses these days, though.

We made lots of bunny jam for our friends and family! I always look forward to strawberry season and those sales. I found a "these organic strawberries definitely didn't fall off a truck sale" and went to town making my annual bunny jam, which uses vanilla sugar and orange juice. I get the strawberry mixture to a very high temp, and I enjoy the cook's treat the Swedish call "skum"---the pale pink foam that forms on top. It tastes like candy, and folks in our circles seem to love the jam. Takes forever, of course---like all the best things!

Publishing News

I had a Starship Valkyrie romantic-suspense story in the zine, Paws and Peril, which came out on March 30th. I have a large stack of them for Strategicon! I hope folks will come by my HQ and grab a copy---with swag, of course! The zines are great fun, with featurettes and news, and little author confessions. I'm working on our next one right now with Urna Semper, and I'll be writing an article on fantasy, romantasy, and fantasy romance for it. Plus contributing all sorts of little surprises for folks! More to come!

On May 18th---may I be prepared enough before then!---my Starship Valkyrie story "Kor'lana Lights" will be out in the anthology Fireworks and Flirtation. I'm really proud of this one. It's the first Fake Engagement story I've written, with a political and (naturally) science-fiction twist, and I am already enjoying writing more about the couple from the story: Andromeda Kordova and the Lance, an Abni-S'zaelyn (humanoid alien) security contractor and mercenary. I can't wait for folks to meet them and enjoy their love story!

In honor of Fireworks and Flirtation, and my day (Mother's Day!), I want to share another little present with you: the opening of "Kor'lana Lights" below. Enjoy, go pamper your mother or get pampered yourself, and maybe consider getting yourself a treat with a preorder of Fireworks and Flirtation! Or come see me at Strategicon sometime. :) I'll have copies of this anthology at Gateway.

***

Kor'lana Lights

A Starship Valkyrie Story

In Fireworks and Flirtation, a Steamy Romance Anthology

Earth Republic Consulate, Kor’lana Seta, Kor’lana (Den’omu Sector), February 2157

“See me in my office immediately.”

Andri felt sure she left two streaks of fire behind her heels as she blazed down the consulate corridor, gave the elevator one curt voice command, and tried to will the door to shut. When it abruptly paused and slid open again, she buried a curse. Once she saw who’d held her up, however, her stomach leapt straight into her throat and stuck there.

No one in the consulate knew his name, only his title. He’d once led a fighting unit for a mercenary guild, and such leaders held the title of “Lance,” the point of the spear. As an Abni-S’zaelyn, he looked mostly like a human man, with nanite guild tattoos swirling artfully across his cheeks and around his temples, finishing in a flourish above his eyebrows—his in red, deep gray, and pale blue. Opaque eyes the color of steel met hers, and he waited, contained, hands clasped professionally.

“Attaché Kordova. May I share your elevator?”

The elevator beeped in a low tone, insistent, until Andri clapped a hand on the sliders to trip its sensor.

“I wish you'd call me Andri. Are we heading to the same place again?”

Lance—The Lance, her brain reminded—softened his eyes and gazed down at her from his incredible height. Being Abni, he clocked in at 1.3 times larger than most humanoids; incredibly, Lance counted as small for a male of his species, at a paltry 192 cm, his large bones roped with muscle under service armor.

“I presume the ambassador would like me to act as your security on another agribusiness tour?” The corner of his mouth twitched, tugging at Andri's stomach. “Did you wish for a second look at the cetaceous aquaculture facility? More algae wading seemed enticing? Guarding our Xenoagriculture Attaché seldom lacks variety.”

Andri laughed, her anxiety melting, and waved him onto the elevator. “God, I hope not. Took me three days to get that smell out of my clothes.”

The elevator closed behind him, and they rose. Floor-by-floor view portals revealed flickers of the oceanic boulevards and vivid deep purples and blues of a Kor'lana sunset. The great blue-white star sank gloriously into the alien urban horizon, slinking fingers of light down watery channels, declining like a queen to her chambers in all her finery. The Lance's eyes flickered to Andri several times, though she couldn't pierce their opacity for meaning.

“The ambassador did summon you, though? You appear anxious.”

Andri’s cochlear translator kept tripping and delaying, as though searching for appropriate words; she wondered if he’d switched to a dialect.

“He did. Urgently.” She met Lance’s eyes. “Not likely to be an emergency agribusiness site tour, but we can always hope.”

Something about that made Lance laugh out loud, a pleasantly rich sound, but slightly creaky... as though he seldom laughed. In her short experience with their contractor, he hadn’t laughed often... but he did smile more.

Around her, in any case.

***

You can get your copy of Fireworks and Flirtation here in ebook, on Kindle Unlimited, or in paperback on May 18th. Happy Mother's Day!