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There’s this great scene in The Cloisters where a character, Rachel, steals biscotti from a cafe. Rachel is wealthy. She doesn’t need the biscotti. And this moment starts to clue us in that Rachel can’t be trusted. So I had to make an almond chocolate biscotti to go along with the cappuccinos that Anne and Rachel order.
Our cappuccinos arrived, each with rough cubes of sugar. When the waiter had gone, Rachel pulled a short brown biscotto out of her pocket. It was the type they had for sale at the cash register, the type I hadn’t seen her pay for when we ordered.
The Cloisters by Katy Hays
“Here.” She broke it in half and offered me some.
“Did you steal that?”
She shrugged. “You don’t want it? They’re really good.”
…I took a bite and left the rest sitting on my saucer. She was right, it was delicious.The Cloisters is a dark academia, psychological thriller with so many twists and turns you never know which of the characters you can trust. Plus, it features an unreliable narrator and I love a good unreliable narrator.
Life isn’t going well for Ann Stillwell. She wasn’t accepted to any graduate programs. All she wants is to escape her small town in Washington. She manages to gain an internship at the Met in NYC but on day one is told–change in plans, they no longer need her. Then swoops in The Cloisters’ curator who wants Ann to assist with his project on divination and tarot cards in the Renaissance. This project could be Ann’s chance to break into academia, but first she must navigate The Cloisters’ sinister secrets.
For my scene, I included a red candle for the creepy late night card readings, tarot cards, some hot chocolate “cappuccinos,” and chocolate almond biscotti. I added almonds to my biscotti and dipped them in melted chocolate.
Are you a fan of dark academia? Do you have any favorites?
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Burgers, very heavy on the meat, for Rory who craves all the meat after being transformed into a werewolf in Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison.
“I already said I would,” I say, shoving a piece of bread into my mouth.
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison
It tastes weird. There’s something off about it. It’s gummy. Acrid. But I’m not going to say that to Scarlett, and I didn’t realize how hungry I was until right this moment, so I swallow it anyway.
…I don’t know why I keep eating this bread. What I could really go for is a burger.Such Sharp Teeth is a supernatural, horror novel that’s light(ish) on the gore and the scary.
After getting attacked by a wild animal in the woods, life gets weird for Rory. Her hair looks amazing but sometimes she smells like…wet dog? She only wants to eat meat. So. Much. Meat. She can’t get drunk. She’s insanely strong. And silver buuuurns.
On the surface Such Sharp Teeth is a supernatural story filled with suspense, humor, and romance. On another level, Harrison uses a traumatic werewolf transformation to explore many of the changes that can be experienced in a female body–periods, pregnancy, menopause, and even trauma.
This book was excellent, thought-provoking, and would be an especially good read if you’re looking for something monster-spooky for Halloween.
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I love holidays so much. And nothing makes a holiday more special than seasonal baking and holiday books. Here is a list of some of my favorite Thanksgiving picture books about gratitude and gathering with family. I’ve also included some books by Indigenous authors so that I can take a moment with my kids to honor Indigenous Americans.
Using my sourdough starter, I baked a sourdough loaf and shaped them into turkeys and pumpkins. If you don’t have a sourdough starter, this artisan bread recipe should work well. I also made pumpkin bread from Smitten Kitchen. (I skip the cinnamon sugar topping and throw in some chocolate chips. It’s divine).
There’s nothing better than munching on pumpkin bread while enjoying these charming picture books with my kids.
Thanksgiving Is Here by Diane Goode. A sweet story of a large family gathering on Thanksgiving Day. Darcy has been in love with this book since she was 2.
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade. A beautiful, lyrical story of protecting the earth.
Thank You by Charo Pita, illustrated by Anuska Allepuz. An inquisitive little girl learns gratitude from her grandmother.
Thanks for Nothing by Ryan T. Higgins. Bruce and the gang celebrate Thanksgiving. (We adore the Bruce series).
The Thank You Book by Danna Smith, Illustrated by Juliana Pedomo. A sweet board book that goes through different ways to express gratitude.
Thank You for the Little Things by Caryl Hart, illustrated by Emily Hamilton. A book about finding happiness and gratitude in the simple things.
Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal. A beautiful, lyrical story of fry bread. It also includes the history of fry bread at the end of the book. I adore this book.
Look and Be Grateful by Tomie dePaola. A story of finding gratitude in all the little things you see daily.
What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving picture books? Were any of your favorites included included on this list?
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He pulls the sleeves of petals from his pack, then follows with three apples, along with a twist of sugared dough that’s still warm from an oven. “Here. The baker was out back scolding his daughter, so I swiped you some food.”
Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer
He was late because he brought me breakfast. Not just any breakfast either. Food from the Royal Sector will be the finest imaginable. The apples will be injected with honey, the twists of dough made with real butter and laced with cream and sugar.Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer is a YA fantasy novel full of political intrigue, romance, a pandemic-ish setting sans dreary reminders of life in 2020, and two more books to follow so the story is just getting started.
In a country ravaged by illness where medicine is in short supply for the poor but plentiful for the wealthy, Tessa and Wes sneak through the streets at night to give medicine to those who can’t afford it.
This book is a great pick if you enjoy YA/young adult books, fantasy novels, and a cute love story.
I knew I had to make the sugared dough twists and honey apples that Wes brings to Tessa. The apples were an interesting challenge, though. Baked apples can be pretty messy and syrupy. My goal was to make a baked apple that could feasibly travel. While, admittedly, these apples still wouldn’t be my first choice of travel meals, they can be picked up and eaten, just like Wes and Tessa did
You can check out my sugared dough twists and honey apples recipes. And let me know if you’ve read Defy the Night. Or have you read the entire trilogy? The second book didn’t grab me, so I didn’t finish.
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These baked apples are juicy, cinnamony, sweet. But baked just enough to soften while firm enough to hold.
In Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer, Wes brings Tessa baked apples and “a twist of sugared dough.” But here’s the thing. Wes and Tessa are illegally running through the streets in the middle of the night, dodging guards, while they deliver medicine to townspeople.
The apples are described as “injected with honey.” And they’re still warm. They don’t sound like ideal on-the-go food. For my review of Defy the Night, I just had to try and make a version that…in theory…could travel.
Here’s a very loose recipe that’s more follow-your-heart guidelines.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Core your apples.
- Stab the inside core and the outside of the apples with a fork or toothpick so that the honey can better be infused.
- Melt about 1/2 cup of honey with 1 Tabelspoon of butter. Mix with a teaspoon of vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
- Spoon the mixture over the apples, making sure to cover the core and the outside of each apple.
- Add about 1/2 cup of apple juice, or better yet, apple cider to the bottom of the baking dish. There should be about 1/4-1/2 inch of liquid.
- Bake the apples for about 15-20 minutes until soft enough to pierce with a fork. If you aren’t planning on running illegally through the streets of Kandala with one of these apples in your hand, you don’t need to worry about them getting too soft. Thought the slight crunch and bite if you keep them on the firmer side is nice.
- While the apples are baking, mix 1/4 cup of sugar with 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon.
- Remove the apples from the oven. Carefully, while the apples are still hot, stab the core with a fork and roll the apples through the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and enjoy!
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For my review of Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer, I had to make the fresh, warm dough twists that Wes brings to Tessa. Because, naturally, I love a good pastry.
These are so simple to make.
I made a batch of my favorite yeasted puff pastry. You can buy some from the grocery store in the frozen section, if you prefer.
When the dough is ready, roll it out, sprinkled the dough with a healthy dose of sugar (cinnamon would also be amazing but I kept it out to stay true to the book). Gently use the rolling pin to roll the sugar into the dough. Cut the dough into strips and braid them together.
Cover, and let the braids rise for an hour or two until puffy. When your press your finger to the dough, the indentation should slowly spring back. Before the dough is fully risen, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brush with an egg wash, sprinkle with more sugar, and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Best enjoyed the same day.
I love making pastries! It may be my favorite thing to bake. What’s your favorite thing to make with puff pastry?
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For Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, I had to make Ryland’s so-good-they’re-worthy-of-being-a-last-meal breakfast burritos. And my weeknight, quick, easy, family-friendly dinner breakfast burritos, if I may say so, are last-meal good.
Breakfast burritos half-wrapped in tin-foil lay next to a copy of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Other props include chemistry beakers, a leather briefcase, molecule kit, and some teacher supplies such as stickers, pens, and a flash drive. “I take a bite of the breakfast burrito. It’s good. All the food is good. I guess they figured if we’re going to die, we may as well eat good stuff.”
Project Hail Mary by Andy WeirRyland Grace wakes up on a spaceship but with no memory of how he got there or why. Andy Weir delivers a suspenseful, endearing story with palatable science (as someone with no science background). Project Hail Mary is a sci-fi thriller that you won’t be able to put down. Plus, the audiobook is phenomenal and it’s one of the few instances where I’ll recommend the audiobook over the physical book.
For Project Hail Mary, I had to make my weeknight breakfast burritos. It’s such an easy and adaptable recipe. Plus the whole family will eat it. It’s perfect for those evenings when I just need something to whip together. The most time-consuming part is the potatoes and, if you’re short on time, just skip the potatoes. Though, I would never recommend skipping the potatoes. What would Mark Watney say?
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My family loves these weeknight breakfast burritos. I love how adaptable they are. Want tons of veggies? Throw them in there? Not in the mood for spinach tonight? Skip it. Most of the time I’ll make a mini wrap with scrambled eggs for the kids with the home fried potatoes on the side.
I made these breakfast burritos for my review of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. The book is phenomenal and I cannot recommend it enough!
But let’s chat breakfast burritos.
First, it starts with a great tortilla. I solely use fresh Tortilla Land tortillas. I usually pick them up from Walmart or Costco. they take a little extra time but it’s worth it.
The potatoes are the most time consuming part. And I’ll use whatever type of potatoes I have in my pantry. I’m not picky. You’ll want to wash your potatoes, stab them several times with a fork, and then microwave them for 5-10 minutes until they’re almost baked potato consistency. I then cube the potatoes. Careful, they’re hot!
Pan fry them in some hot olive oil and then use that same pan to cook your scrambled eggs.
Now it’s time for assembly!
Tortilla, scrambled eggs, home fried potatoes, some veggies–spinach, tomatoes, bell pepper, avocado. Whatever your heart desires. Sprinkle on some shredded cheese, if you’d like. And, most important, add your hot sauce!
The recipe below isn’t too specific. This is more of a follow-your-heart situation. If you do try this recipe, I’d love if you left a review! And I am always happy to answer questions in the comments! I love hearing from you all!
Home Fried Potatoes
Time: about 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6 people
Ingredients:
4-5 potatoes (russet, red potatoes, whatever you have on hand), scrubbed clean
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
Directions:
- Stab each of the potatoes several times with a fork. Place on a microwave-safe plan and microwave the potatoes for 5 minutes. Flip the potatoes over and microwave for an additional 5 minutes until soft and easy to stab with a fork.
- Dice the baked potatoes. If you prefer, it’s fairly easy to remove the peel at this point. I leave it on depending on the variety of potato I’m using. Toss the diced potatoes with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the potatoes. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Typically for 4-5 potatoes, I will add fry half a batch at a time. The potatoes won’t crisp if there’s too many in the pan.
- Flip the potatoes with a spatula after 5 minutes. Every couple of minutes, toss the potatoes until browned and crips. Drizzle more olive oil into the pan as necessary.
- Remove from heat and enjoy immediately!
- For the breakfast burritos, I’ll scramble the eggs in the potato pan after removing the potatoes.
- To assemble the burritos: add potatoes, scrambled eggs, desired veggies, cheese, and hot sauce to a fresh tortilla. Wrap and enjoy!
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To celebrate Halloween and Hocus Pocus 2, I made these fun brownies that look just like Winifred Sanders’s spell book. I had to round it off with some of my favorite witch stories.
For these spell book brownies, I made my favorite brownie recipe and then copied this picture from Mike Bakes NYC. I piped ganache for the little details. For the eyes, I cut circles out of white fondant with piping tips and then painted the eyeballs with black gel food coloring and my food paint brushes.
And, of course, I added a smidge of glam with by brushing on some edible gold paint.
While Hocus Pocus 2 was disappointing, these books could never disappoint!
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. I love Hermione Granger and her insistence in The Prisoner of Azkaban to take every possible class available to her and then some is so on character for her.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. An old classic and Newberry award winner. A young woman living in 18th Century America befriends the “witch” in the woods.
Macbeth is my favorite Shakespeare play. And the creepy witches are fantastic.
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. A dark YA fantasy of three sisters fighting for a throne.
What are your favorite witch books?
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I painted a loaf of bread to match the inside cover of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, and then created Max’s dinner with bread slices, a glass of milk, and a bowl of soup.
The book Where the Wild Things Are next to a bowl of soup, a glass of milk, and a round loaf of bread painted with the same leaves as the book’s inside cover. Alongside hammer and nails and a golden crown. and into the night of his very own room
from Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
where he found his supper waiting for him
and it was still hot.Confession–I don’t recall reading Where the Wild Things Are as a child. I’m sure it was read to me at least once, but it wasn’t something we had in our home library. But I bought it shortly after Darcy was born and I immediately fell in love with it. Some picture books are a classic for a reason. I love its lyrical story, the beautiful illustrations, and the mischievous little boy. It immediately gives you the nostalgia of being a kid and playing imagination.
I had to recreate Max’s dinner that was still hot.
I’ve been working on a sourdough starter for a few weeks, so, of course, made a sourdough loaf.
I followed this recipe from King Arthur Flour for my starter. I’ve since thrown away my starter because I got tired of maintaining it (I kept it for probably 4 months) and I’m the only person in my household who likes sourdough. But I’m glad that I finally gave it a try!
Using my personal starter, I made this sourdough recipe.
If you don’t have a sourdough starter, I like this easy artisan bread recipe.
For shaping the loaves and slicing them with the lame, I used this kit and I’ve been loving it. It’s just $30 and it includes a dough hook for mixing, a lame, a pretty bench knife with a wooden handle, and two different shapes of proofing baskets.
Painting the loaf is super easy! And would probably be even easier if you have any artistic skills, which I do not! Mix gel food coloring–any color you want–with a smidge of flour. My favorite brands of food coloring gels are Americolor and ChefMaster. The ChefMaster colors are a bit more vibrants so it’s my preferred brand, but both are excellent.
I then use my food paint brushes to create my design. Then bake as usual! The colors will fade a bit while baking.
For the soup, I made this Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder from How Sweet Eats. Because if any child needs some sneaky veggies in their dinner, it’s Max.
What’s your favorite classic children’s book?
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