Yes, I’m aware it's the wrong time of year for anything pumpkin-flavored, but bear with me as I introduce you to this Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal. I posted a photo of this breakfast on my IG a few weeks ago, and it was surprisingly well-received. So, it got me thinkin'... Many of my book-inspired recipe plans have been derailed because of what I can(‘t) get from the grocery store these days. But, as luck would have it,...
Move over, Cherry Coke, because Spruce Soda is my new favorite soft drink. You heard me. Spruce Soda. I admit, it doesn’t sound like a very Jane-ish book-inspired recipe for The Jane Austen Diet. But, it’s adapted from the recipe for Spruce Beer, which was a popular drink in Jane Austen’s time. Author Brian Kozlowski included the recipe for Summer Spruce Beer in The Jane Austen Diet, and I’ve made a modified version here. I also decided...
I'm so excited to be making Pecan Snowball Cookies as my book-inspired recipe for One Day in December. I mean, you can't get a better culinary concoction for a wintry romance than a snowball, right?? When Laurie sees love interest Jack through a bus window on a wintry day in London, the frigid air is swirling with snowflakes. It's magical, it's inspired, and although Laurie and Jack don't actually meet in that moment, they do have some other...
I can't stop staring at these gorgeous Hocus Pocus Cupcakes. *all the heart eyes* The sprinkles! The frosting! THE SPRINKLES AND THE FROSTING!! Although The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop takes place around Halloween, these delicious confectioneries flavored with chocolate, cherries, and roses are like Valentine's Day shoved into a cupcake. Which is exactly what you want in a dessert modeled after a love potion. You heard me: love potion. These are LOVE...
This Apple Crumble Galette is about as close as to making a pie as I’m ever going to come. And, I’m TOTALLY okay with that. My husband asks me to make apple crumble every autumn. We love to go apple picking, and we usually end up with more apples than we know what to do with. But, I always know to set aside some apples to make my All Day Apple Butter and an apple crumble. This year, I think a new fall tradition has been born with this Apple...
One of my favorite things about this time of year is how much baking I get to do. With Thanksgiving, my husband’s December birthday, and the Christmas season all within six weeks of each other, my oven is seriously put to the test. Cookies, cakes, bars, brownies, cheescakes -- you name it, I’m probably baking it. By the time I reach December 26, I’m admittedly a little baked out. Which brings me to the overabundance of baked goods every...
Not going anywhere for awhile? No, this is not a recipe for homemade Snickers bars. But, this is a recipe for All Day Apple Butter, which, you may have already surmised, will take you all day to make. We’re talking 10-12 hours, people. However, there’s only about 30-40 minutes of active cooking time, and the rest is all passive time until you’re ready to blend and jar the finished product. So, winter storm have you holed up inside? Make...
Ever since I read First Frost, I’ve wanted to make the Fig and Pepper Bread that Claire Waverley bakes for her town's First Frost festival. The bread is eagerly anticipated by her family and friends as one of autumn's first pleasures, and while I was skeptical about the unusual combo of flavors, I was more intrigued than anything else. I got to the end of the novel, and I was delighted to find…the recipe for the much-discussed Fig and Pepper...
We're well into September now, and that means it's time for crunchy falling leaves, taking cozy sweaters out of storage, all things pumpkin spice and apple related, and...the return of FOOTBALL! I can't even believe I'm writing this post. If you knew me about 10 years ago, you would understand why. I was a completely different person; football did not factor into my life, except for knowing that Sunday afternoon games meant I could grocery shop...
Hey guys! So, I’m working on my manuscript this week, which means that I haven’t had time to do much reading. I started Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman, and I’m really loving it even though I’m only, like, five pages in. Josh Malerman wowed me last year when I finally read his 2009 novel Bird Box, and I’m totes excited for this new one from him. However, I had to take a break from it this week because I don’t like to read something by...
