Aiki Flinthart - Author
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Warrior Woman Words

Even warriors stop for pie

24/12/2017

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Because even warriors get to take breaks while on their great quests, I'm actually taking a short holiday from work.
And doing some writing - in between renovating our house. 
And, because it's December, and heating up your house by baking pies in the middle of summer is the done thing, I'm also making pies. My son is helping me contribute to global warming. We now have 7 pies in the fridge. There were 8, but one seems to have mysteriously vanished, along with a tub of icecream.

Now I'm sharing the love, so you too can make your airconditioner die of overwork as it tries to cool down a house being heated by both sun and oven.  (Clearly I'm talking to fellow southern hemisphere dwellers, here).

Anyway... my grandmother's sweet pumpkin pie recipe. 

Makes 2 deep pies

Shortcrust base
16 tablespoons unsalted butter  (colloquially known as a f*cktonne of butter)
4 tablespoons castor sugar
4 tablespoons vanilla
(mix these three together with a fork until smooth)
4 cups of self-raising flour
(mix this through the butter mixture. resulting pastry should stick to itself, but not stick to your fingers too much. If it does, add some more flour)
Press this mix into two pie tins
Put back into the fridge to chill

Filling
Cut up lots of pumpkin and cook (I use the microwave) until soft. Allow to cool
Zazz with a hand-held stick blender or similar until pureed
Next..
Into a bowl...
8 eggs, lightly beaten
6 cups of pumpkin puree
2 cups brown sugar (less if you're trying to reduce sugar)
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
6 cups Carnation evaporated milk (this comes in tins in the longlife milk aisle)

Mix above ingredients in order then use the hand-blender to give one final mix.

Preheat oven to 220deg
Pour mix into the two pie bases
Sprinkle nutmeg on top
Bake for 15min on 220deg
Reduce to 190deg for another 45min or so.

Eat either warm or cooled with cream/icecream

​#warriorwomanwords #writerfighters #writerslife

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Hair Swords and other dangerous items

17/12/2017

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When your character's in trouble, what's her go-to weapon? Is she better with cutting words, or with actual sharp-edged weapons? Does she carry one? If not, can she turn anything into a weapon? 
Hair swords are a thing with me. No, not swords made of hair (creepy), actual pointy things that hold your hair up. Of course I could use a pen, or a chopstick - but where's the fun in that? 
I now have around 7 different styles - from a pair handmade by my son out of old drill bits, to a katana, to this gladius replica I picked up in Italy (she says casually).
They make for good conversation pieces. They're not concealed weapons. Not concealed at all, officer. Look, see? Right there sticking up like an alien antenna. I'll let you in on a secret. Most aren't even sharp - pointy, yes, sharp, no.
However that doesn't stop them being useful. They make good letter openers, for instance (honest, officer). Of course, the point is (pun intended) almost anything handy can be used as a weapon by your character. (Some may debate the usefulness of cooked pasta, but it would, at least, serve as a distraction while she hit the badguy with something more lethal. And don't underestimate the pain-generating ability of a really hot pasta sauce in the eyes.)
Use your scene location description to add key details (sauce bubbling on the stove; the rich aroma of tomato pasta sauce). Then use that casually-mentioned detail as a weapon in the subsequent fight scene. Think outside the standard weapons array. (Jackie Chan movies are good at that.) Have fun with it. If you character is a think-on-her-feet kinda girl, use whatever's to hand and it will add either realism or comedy (or both) to your scene.

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    Aiki Flinthart

    I live in Australia - which tells you I have a sense of humour.  We're a self-deprecating people, we Aussies.  My aim is to, one day, vanish in a blinding flash of enlightenment.  In the mean time, I'm doing my best to learn as many
     cool and interesting things as I can.

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  • Home
  • BOOKS
    • All Books
    • Blackbirds
    • Fight like a Girl
    • The Kalima Chronicles
    • The Ruadhan Sidhe Series
    • 80AD Series
    • Sold!
    • Short Story Anthologies
    • Other works in progress
  • Bonus Material
    • Story extras - The Jewel of Asgard
    • Story Extras - The Hammer of Thor
    • Story Extras - The Tekhen of Anuket
    • Story Extras - The Sudarshana
    • Story Extras - The Yu Dragon
    • Story Extras - IRON-FIRE-STEEL
  • Editing & Story Development
  • Workshops
  • Contact details
  • Warrior Woman Words
  • Privacy Policy
  • Media Information