Smashwords Forum - Founder, Ted Summerfield,Profile

Ted Summerfield is a former member of the Radio Television News Directors Association. He started writing as a teenager and over the years has written poetry, news stories, sports stories, stories for children, puzzles, plays for puppets, fiction and non-fiction works.

As Ted tells his story, "my parents and grandfather were great role models and inspired me in many of my lifelong interests. My grandfather was wonderful. He always ended our conversations with a problem to solve or an opinion requiring some thought. My brother and I would have a week to think about it and tell him our answers the following Saturday. My answers were simple as a 6 year old, but I was providing more reasoned answers when I was 15. It was grandfather who got me thinking about law, business, relationships, and the mathematics involved in those areas.

My mother got me hooked on games when I was 4 years old, by showing me how to play Chinese Checkers and telling me if I studied the logic of the game well enough I could soon beat my older brother at the game.

My family was middle-class, business people who raised me with the concept of social capitalism. They contributed much of their income anonymously to various charities and non-profit organizations as well as no-interest loans to a few low-income families who had an idea for a business and just needed a start or in some cases a place to live. My father insisted we help others not out of religious beliefs or image-improvement but because it was the right thing to do. "That could be you" was an early instruction from my father on the importance of helping others.

He and my grandfather were businessmen and made a good living for their families, but looking out for the other person was paramount because 'it could happen to you'. My grandfather and father instilled in me the notion of  'favourable agreement', where both parties are happy with the result.

I’ve enjoyed a business life comprised of property management, property development, real estate sales, puppetry, and broadcast journalism.

As a property manager, one of the dumbest moment I ever had while I was leasing properties was when I offered a generous time-frame for repayment to a tenant who was behind in payments, ensuring they wouldn't be financially strapped, but they refused and left me no choice but to go to court. When the smoke had cleared they'd been forced to pay far more than the originally sought amount. That was truly dumb on their part. The lesson, I hope they learned, was don't try to cheat people.

After writing and performing several puppet plays, and traveling to storytelling conventions in the United States, I discovered there is not a lot of money in the arts business. But, the most wonderful aspect of puppetry was seeing children react to the story, get involved with the story, be really excited and laughing. Those moments were worth millions.

My first puzzle eBook was published in 2010, and I have published over 40 eBooks, comprised of picture eBooks for children, a variety of puzzle eBooks, fiction and non-fiction works.

As a new Smashwords author, I was unable to find an online community for Smashwords authors, so I created Smashwords Forum (SWF) in 2011.

SWF has become a place where new and seasoned authors can find a variety of information about self-publishing and traditional publishing.

With over 900 members, SWF members ask/answer questions regarding publishing, formatting, marketing, promoting their eBooks, and meet other authors from around the world.

I also do a lot of research and provide the results to SWF members about the ins and outs of self-publishing and help other authors and forum members by providing guidance and details about self-publishing policies, royalties, various eTailers, formatting, making book covers, and more.

In addition, I encourage SWF members to try new ideas.

The Smashwords Forum Writers Anthology is one of those ideas.

The forum has proven itself popular and valuable to new and experienced authors."

Author Information

Blog: http://punzhupuzzles.wordpress.com/

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/puzzles

Twitter: punzhu_puzzles

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ted-summerfield/13/327/4b8

Street Vendors in Mexico - Five postres for 13 pesos

One of the experiences I enjoy in Merida are the street vendors. From various wheeled-vehicles, human-powered or motor-powered, the vendors sell furniture, fruit, garden soil, pastries, tamales, ice cream, and more.

On my calle, vendors wheel down the street, clanging their bell, tooting their horn, or shouting out their product for sale. They are selling tamales, corn desserts, fruit, pastries, or ice cream.

The hardest thing about the process is trying to get out the door in time with my keys, shoes, and dinero before the vendor is two blocks away.

Until yesterday, I had succeeded once and got a tamale.

Finally, I got out the door in time and bought five postres for 13 pesos. They were fresh, warm and delicious. I only ate one and saved the rest.

Five postres for 13 pesos

Think about it. Five wonderful fresh-baked pastries for 13 pesos ($2.6MX each). At the current exchange rate, $1US is worth 16.62 pesos.

Many Mexicans run businesses out of their homes. Some make lunches for neighbors and nearby workers. Some make postres or other food items. There are often economica cocinas, open late at night, offering tortas, hamburgers, hot dogs and other food items.

National Write a Novel Month -- November

It's National Write a Novel Month (November)

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. 

On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.

from: http://nanowrimo.org

P.S. I tried this once and did not last long. I am slow writer, but the whole concept is inspiring.

Turn Your Frig into a Salad Bar with Crazy Salads

Crazy Salads (Use What You Have)

With stackable storage containers, you can have a Salad Bar in your frig.

This all started because I didn't have any lettuce and I wanted to make a salad. So, I just decided to make a salad without lettuce and things took off from there. I rummaged around in the frig and found some leftover salmon salad, 1/2 a tomato, a green pepper, an onion, some olives, parmesan cheese, and a bag of toasted bread cubes. I continued rummaging in the pantry and pulled out a can of mushroom bits and a jar of imitation bacon bits and made a Crazy Salad.

From there on, almost anything was game for a Crazy Salad. For me, the main ingredients are a bit of protein, heaps of diced vegetables and a crunchy topping. I usually don´t even use a dressing because the salad is already tasty.

Ingredients:

Base (Choose One)
1-3 Tablespoons per serving

Chicken, cooked and diced or canned, or as chicken salad
Salmon, canned, plain or as salmon salad
Rice, cooked, or Spanish rice
Cabbage, sliced

Other Ingredients (Use What You Have)
1-2 Tablespoons per serving

Green or red pepper, sliced or diced
Tomatoes, regular or cherry tomatoes, sliced or diced
Onion, red or white, sliced or diced
Carrots, sliced or grated
Cucumbers, sliced or diced
Radishes, sliced or diced
Mushrooms, sliced
Olives, black or green, sliced
Celery, sliced or diced
Beans, canned, black, red, or Chick peas
Artichoke hearts, 1-3
Cheese, white, cubed
Chayote, sliced

Apples, slices
Raisins
Pineapple, fresh or canned, chunks

Toppings (Use What You Have)
Parmesan cheese
Croutons or toasted bread cubes
Imitation Bacon bits

Seasonings (to taste)
Ground black pepper
Paprika

Dressings/Sauces (Choose One)
Mustard vinaigrette
Yogurt/Mayo dressing  (See below)
Oil and vinegar
or plain, no dressing

Process:
(For one serving)
Basically, start with 1-3 tablespoons of a base in a small salad bowl. I like canned chicken or salmon salad. Then add 1-2 tablespoons each of whatever other ingredients you like or have on hand. I love green peppers, onions, carrots, olives, beans, and artichoke hearts. The rest are extras depending on what I have on hand. But, I like a crunchy topping so it's either imitation bacon bits or toasted bread cubes.

Use your imagination and add other ingredients you like and think will work.

Yogurt/Mayo Sauce with Paprika

Ingredients:
1/3 cup plain yogurt*
2 tablespoons mayo
A dollop of vinegar
A dash of salt
1/8 tspn sugar
A dash of paprika

Process:
Mix ingredients in a bowl or container with a lid.
Stir well to blend all ingredients.

*Note: Yogurt in Mexico is more liquid than solid, add a little milk to thin the sauce.

White Bean Fritters with a Yogurt Dip

White Bean Fritters with a Yogurt Dip
Adapted from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-pollan-family-table/white-bean-fritters-with_b_7942556.html?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000045

I thought I could follow this recipe but I was using cooked dry beans, so they were not easily mashable, so I had to improvise.

Then with the dip, I did not have all the ingredients, so I had to make substitutions.

The recipe will come in three steps. Bean Mixture, Fitter Batter, and Yogurt Dip

White Bean Mixture
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked white beans, coarsely mashed
1/4 white onion, diced
1 tbspn dry parsley
2 tbspns Parmesan cheese
Salt/pepper to taste

Process:
In a bowl, add ingredients. Stir well.

Set aside.


Fritter Batter
Ingredients:
2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Dash of salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
A dash of paprika

Process:
Add fritter batter ingredients into a separate bowl. Stir well.
Add fitter batter to bean mixture.
Stir thoroughly.
Add olive oil to skillet. Heat medium-high.
Add a tablespoon of mixture at a time.
Generally, a small skillet can hold 4 fitters with room to turn fritters over.
Cook fritters for about 2-3 minutes on each side.


Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:
8oz plain greek yogurt
1 tbspn cucumber juice from cucumber cooler*
1/2 capful lime juice concentrate
1/4 tspn garlic powder
Ground black pepper to taste

*more on the cucumber cooler later. Essentially, I put lots of cucumber slices in a small pitcher of water and put it in the frig for a few hours.

Process:

Mix the above ingredients in a bowl or container with a lid.

Stir well.

Note: I do not add salt to most recipes.

I liked the Yogurt Dip.

I am enjoying making sauces, dressings, and dips. It's giving me an idea for another small cookbook :-)

Serving: 15 fritters

Mini Canned Chicken Salad with Vegetables

Mini Canned Chicken Salad with Vegetables

Ingredients:
1/2 can of chicken, drained
2 tbspns mayo
1/4 onion, diced
ground black pepper to taste

Process:
Mix the above in a container with a lid to save what is not used.
While mixing, shred chicken chunks.
Add half of mixture in a bowl.
Add toppings.

Toppings:
Imitation bacon bits
1/8 green pepper, diced
1/4 tomato, diced
A few slices of avocado
A dash of paprika

I found this salad fresh, tasty and crunchy.

Summer Shopping Challenge - My Costco Adventure

Hmmm, I had followed the news that Costco (Merida, Mexico) was building a new store in the north.

But, I failed to pickup on the actual location.

So, when I took the bus to go grocery shopping at Chedraui North is when I found out exactly where the new Costco store was. It had taken the Chedraui North grocery store location. So, now, no grocery shopping.

But, I decided to see if I could check out the Costco store. I thought they might have a day pass but they didn't. Then I decided to see how much a membership cost. It was $450 pesos for two people. So, I joined and put my friend on the account as the second person.

So, now I could browse the store.

Going to Costco is like going grocery shopping for a restaurant because the size and quantity of the items are enormous. I don't need six bottles of mayo.

But, after going up and down every aisle. I did find three things that I thought would suit my "budget", rather laughable since I already spent $450 pesos.

Anyway, I got a six-pack of canned chicken. To me, each can held about what I would have gleaned from a whole grilled chicken from a local take-out (after one meal). Take out chicken $80 pesos, one can of chicken $193.35/$32.00 each. I thought having another source of chicken would be useful.

Then, I got a six-pack of 210g (8oz) mushrooms, which I thought was a good deal because I use a lot of mushrooms. I saved a few pesos.

Then, I got a large bag of dried blueberries. Something I have never tried but I liked the idea, just like having frozen fruit, dried fruit seemed like a good pantry item. So far, I have used them as part of a yogurt topping. They are tasty. I need to try to rehydrate them, too.

I also got something else. A credenza with portable cloth file drawers.

I live in a one-bedroom apartment with little storage, so, the credenza is useful to store all my notebooks, writing, correspondence and jewelry-making supplies that were previously stored in cardboard boxes that sat on the sofa.

But, the credenza was a DIY affair. I had to put it together using over 30+ dowels and various nuts and bolts to secure 11 pieces of "heavy" particle board.

If I move, I will have to have it packed and crated so it doesn't fall apart.

On the bright side, I had recently gotten a price from one furniture maker for something similar for $6000 pesos. Too rich for me, so when I saw this for about $2,000.00 pesos, I thought it was a good idea.

While the credenza may not have been the best decision, it does make the living room look so much neater and I am more organized. Got to look on the bright side.

Status of Summer Shopping Challenge

You could say I failed my summer shopping challenge.

I lasted six weeks without going to a grocery store. I used some of my pantry supplies and made several vegetable purchases from nearby tiendas.

But, I like Ginger Ale, carbonated water, toilet paper and other bulky things. So, I made a trip in June to get the bulky items and probably got a few more things. Then in July, I made another trip. In total, I spent about the same as I usually would but I probably ate more fresh vegetables than usual.

Then, there was my Costco adventure (that's another post).

And, I have long lists of recipes ideas to try and, of course, there are ingredients I don't have, like: nutmeg, cardamon, raspberries, cabbage, and sour cream (but, I may use a substitute when I get to that recipe.)

During the six weeks I did not go to the grocery store, we had several "brown-outs" and I failed to recognize that the food in my refrigerator may have been affected. I had to throw out some leftovers. But, I had less in the refrigerator than usual, so the loss was minor. That's one positive.

I have not stopped looking for ways to reduce my grocery expenses. Another positive is, I can now shop at ISSEY, a Mexican grocery outlet, while their prices are often a little lower, their item selection is not as robust, for example, they don't have Ginger ale.

Experiments with Brussels Sprouts - Skillet Seared Brussels Sprouts and More

I go to my blog's recipes when I cook because I can't remember all the ingredients or processes.

In addition, I continue to look for healthy recipes using available vegetables that keep longer than lettuce and can be frozen. Brussels Sprouts is one of those vegetables.

Shortly after purchase, I blanched a batch of brussels sprouts and froze them. Blanching, to my understanding, means you boil water than add the prepared vegetable and cook for a short amount of time, so the vegetable is softened but not fully cooked.

Sources for "How to" Blanch Vegetables

TheKitchn
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-blanch-vegetables-home-108570

eHow
http://www.ehow.com/how_13887_blanch-vegetables.html

Note: I did not use a gallon of water. I filled a medium sized saucepan 3/4 full of water and added a dash of salt. Nor did I use an ice bath. I rinsed the vegetables in bottled water. Then, placed them in a container and froze them.


When I started this dish, I did not take notes because I thought it would be a failure. But, when it turned out pretty tasty, I decided to post it in general terms.

Skillet Seared Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
10 Blanched, defrosted brussels sprouts
olive oil for skillet
1 garlic clove, diced
balsamic vinegar

Process:
Cut each brussels sprouts head into pieces.
Add oil to skillet.
Add garlic.
Add brussels sprouts pieces.
Cook at medium-high.
The idea is to sear (slightly burn) the brussels sprouts pieces, some pieces will burn more than others as they cook.
Stir frequently.
Cook for a several minutes.

Transfer half of the cooked pieces to a bowl. Refrigerate the rest.
Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.

I have several other ideas for make a brussels sprouts recipes.

Look for updates.

Hot Dog Quesadillas

Don't get too grossed out over this recipe. Sometimes, I like a hot dog with mustard, relish and more.

You may have noticed I like sandwiches of all kinds.

Part of this stems from the fact sandwiches are easy to make and part of it stems from fond memories of visits to a restaurant, Roy's Place, in Maryland that has a multi-page menu of sandwiches made with a wide variety of fillings and breads.

For example, the sandwiches are numbered 1 - 216 and they have funny titles like:

121. THE CHESTER A. CHESTER™ (A real two-breasted sandwich) Special brisket roasted in ale and chili with sharp cheese & tomatoes on three decks, spread with our own chili mayonnaise and showered with onions........$10.19

If you follow the link to Roy's Place, you can see the menu.

Hot Dog Quesadillas

Ingredients:

Olive oil

2 large tortillas

2 hotdogs, cut into pieces

Bottled relish

Mustard

Beans, Black or any kind

Grated Cheese

Process:

Cook the hot dog pieces in the microwave 1 1/2 minutes on high.

Add a dab of oil to skillet.

Add tortilla.

Once one side is brown, turn it over.

Add hot dog pieces on top, on one side.

Top hot dog pieces with beans.

Add cheese.

Add relish and mustard.

Fold tortilla over.

Remove from skillet to plate.

Servings: 2

Jackson Pollock Wedge Salad

You won't see creatively decorated cupcakes on this blog. Nor, will you see artistic plating. I don't have a creative bone in my body but I do like art and trying to be creative even if it's just using a empty bean can to hold pens.

I like wedge salads because they are easy, fun, creative and hopefully healthy.

The foundation of a wedge salad is a wedge of iceberg lettuce, where a head of lettuce is cut into quarters or more.

Then you add whatever salad additions and dressing you want.

I am calling this wedge salad, my Jackson Pollock wedge salad, named after a famous abstract artist who painted by dripping paints onto a canvas. With this salad, I used several leftovers.


Jackson Pollock Wedge Salad

Ingredients:
1 wedge iceberg lettuce
1/8 Red onion, cut however you like
1/4 Green pepper, cut however you like
1/2 Tomato, cut however you like
2 tbspns black beans, drained
2 tbspns cottage cheese
grated carrot
ground black pepper
Dressing

Additions: Add whatever else you can find like: sliced olives, artichoke pieces, mushrooms, carrots or other items.

Process:
Place 1 wedge of lettuce in a bowl.
Sprinkle with onions, peppers, tomato pieces.
Add black beans.
Add cottage cheese.
Sprinkle with grated carrot.
Sprinkle with  black pepper.
Dribble dressing over salad.

I used my Yogurt/Mayo Sauce as a dressing. Here's the recipe.

Yogurt/Mayo Sauce with Paprika

Ingredients:
1/3 cup plain yogurt*
2 tablespoons mayo
A dollop of vinegar
A dash of salt
1/8 tspn sugar
A dash of paprika

Process:
Mix ingredients in a bowl or container with a lid.
Stir well to blend all ingredients.

*Note: Yogurt in Mexico is more liquid than solid, add a little milk, if needed, to thin the sauce.

Salmon Salad Stuffed Tomatoes with a Yogurt/Mayo Sauce

I was in the mood for a snack and also wanted to try and make a sauce.

Thought I'd use my leftover Salmon Salad Mixture.

With this recipe, you can make stuffed tomatoes for a snack or a meal depending on the size of the tomatoes.

While this recipe calls for 1-4 tomatoes, I just used one small one to test the recipe. It made a great snack.

What's great about both recipes is that if you have leftovers, they can be used in other ways.


Salmon Salad Mixture


Ingredients:
1/2 418g/14.75 oz can Salmon, drained
1/4 Green pepper, diced
1/4 Red onion, diced
1 - 1.5 Tablespoons mayo
Ground black pepper to taste
A dash of paprika

Process:
Mix ingredients thoroughly in a container with a lid.
Store in frig to cool.


Salmon Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
(Adapted from: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/Recipes/Tomato-Stuffed-with-Dill-Salmon-Salad_UCM_468791_RecipeDetail.jsp)

Ingredients:
Salmon Salad Mixture
1-4 Tomatoes, small to medium
Yogurt/Mayo Sauce (See recipe below.)

Process:
After washing tomatoes, slice off the top of the tomatoes.
Using a knife and spoon, scoop out the inside of the tomatoes.
Fill tomatoes with the Salmon Salad Mixture.
With a spoon, pour a little Yogurt/Mayo Sauce over the tomatoes.

Will need a knife to cut tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.


Yogurt/Mayo Sauce with Paprika

Ingredients:
1/3 cup plain yogurt*
2 tablespoons mayo
A dollop of vinegar
A dash of salt
1/8 tspn sugar
A dash of paprika

Process:
Mix ingredients in a bowl or container with a lid.
Stir well to blend all ingredients.

*Note: Yogurt in Mexico is more liquid than solid, add a little milk to make thin the sauce.

Canned Salmon Vegetable Salad - In Two Stages

I love crunchy and ground black pepper, so when I make this salmon mixture for a salad, I double down on diced vegetables and black pepper.

Salmon Salad Mixture*:


Ingredients:
1/2 418g/14.75 oz can Salmon, drained
1/4 Green pepper, diced
1/4 Red onion, diced
1 - 1.5 Tablespoons mayo
Ground black pepper to taste
A dash of paprika

Process:
Mix ingredients thoroughly in a container with a lid.
Store in frig to cool.

Salmon Vegetable Salad


Ingredients:
1-2 Tblspns Salmon salad mixture (see above)
Several lettuce leafs
1/4 Green Pepper, diced
1/8 Red onion, diced
1-2 tablespoons, black beans, drained
1/8 cup Grated carrot
Ground black pepper

Lay a few lettuce leafs in a bowl.
Top lettuce, with 1-2 tablespoons of salmon salad mixture.
Sprinkle mixture with green peppers, onion, black beans, and grated carrot.
Sprinkle with black pepper, if desired.

*Leftover salmon mixture can be used in other recipes.

The Battle of the Meatballs - Waikiki Meatballs Appetizer

My friend, C, agreed to participate in a "Battle of the Meatballs" for fun. Here is her contribution.

C is a good cook, so her recipe may be more challenging.


Waikiki Appetizer
To make the following appetizer I combined two different recipes. Basically I used one recipe for the meatball part and the other recipe the sauce part and a few changes.

Meatball Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds bulk pork sausage (or could use ground beef)
1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs
½ cup minced onion
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ginger (or 1 Tablespoon of fresh ginger)
¼ cup milk or water

Process:
Mix the above and shape mixture into rounded bite-size meatballs.  
Put 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil in frying pan; brown and cook meatballs.
Take meatballs out of pan (and if you want drain on paper towels).

Ingredients Sweet & Sour Sauce:
1 can of pineapple (13.5 ounces tidbits) 
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
½ cup chopped green peppers (about the size of the pineapple tidbits)
½ cup drained maraschino cherries, cut in half
Optional: Add ½ cup sliced carrots. (Need to cook carrots ahead of time since they take much longer to cook. After cooking then add to sauce for warming). 

Process:
Drain pineapple; reserve syrup.
Add enough water to syrup to measure 1 cup. 
Add brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and soy sauce in large saucepan.
Cook and stir until sauce boils and thickens.
Add green peppers, cherries, pineapple, and sausage meatballs. 
To serve, you can eat with or without rice.

Makes 6-8 appetizer servings.

"I really liked the sausage instead of ground beef, tasty!" -- C

Thanks C, this was fun.

Vegetable Fritters

Working on the next volume of Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook cookbook continues to be an amazing journey.

Right now, I am fascinated by how basic ingredients like flour, baking powder, s/p, eggs, and milk and more used in various combinations can be used to make: Pancakes, Crepes and more.

It's shocking I never thought of making Fritters before, I love Fritters. After a little research, I found that you can make Fritters out of a variety of fruits and vegetables like: apples, bananas, and broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and more.

So, I found another way to use my leftover vegetables.

While I have been focusing on making healthy meals, side dishes, desserts, and snacks, this recipe uses a lot of oil to fry the Fritters.

Plus, I found the recipe fraught with dangers.

I wanted to cut up the vegetables small enough to make a nice addition to the batter rather than making it too lumpy. Luckily, my knife was not super sharp, so I did not cut myself as I have in the past.

Then, adding a lot of oil into my small skillet was nerve-racking because, I was one wrong move away from spilling very hot oil and maybe causing a kitchen fire or burning myself These are some of the things you need to think about when you cook.

Vegetable Fritters
Adapted from: http://www.thriftyfun.com/Corn-Fritter-Recipes.html

Batter:
2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Fillings:
9 Cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 teaspoons green peppers, diced
1 teaspoon shallot bulb, diced
2 teaspoons canned mushrooms, drained and diced

Other Ingredients:
Olive oil for skillet

Process:

Step One

Dice tomatoes, green peppers, shallot bulb and mushrooms.

Place in a separate bowl.

Step Two

Add dry ingredients into another large bowl.

Crack an egg into a separate bowl to make sure it's a good egg. If so, add to dry mixture.

Stir to mix thoroughly.

Add milk.

Stir and mash batter thoroughly to remove any lumps.

Add diced vegetables.

Stir to distribute vegetables throughout batter.

Step Three

Add about 1-2 inches of oil to skillet.

Heat oil to medium-high.

Once oil appears to sizzle, use a large serving spoon, get a scoop of batter and drop it into the oil.

If there's room, add another scoopful.

Soon, the edges of the fritter will brown.

Caution:

Be careful not to tip the skillet.

Be careful, wear an apron in case the oil splatters.

Using a turner, carefully flip the Fitters, one at a time, to cook on the other side.

They should take about five minutes to cook.

Cook maybe 2 minutes on each side to brown the fritter.

Step Four

Remove to a plate when done.

Use paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Cook more Fritters until batter is exhausted.