A Cake a Month: All the Cakes!

If you were wondering what had happened with all my cake baking...no, I did not stop! I've been managing to keep up with a cake a month (whyyyy did I think this was a good idea? It's so. much. cake.) but not posting about it (oops). What can I say, this year's been difficult for everyone. Obviously why cake is necessary.

Above is April's cake, an almond pound cake I got from my Moosewood's Favorites cookbook, which has been one of my more-used cookbooks. This was delicious and dense and another favorite while writing with coffee in the morning!

For May I made this Red Velvet Earthquake cake! Wow on this one, it was good but a bit much for me personally. Almost too sweet. It was for a friend's birthday, though, and for that it worked well.

Okay, okay, yes, June's cake is *technically* a cheesecake...hey, it has cake in the name! This Bourbon Cheesecake with Boozy Chocolate for Two was just amazing. This is definitely a make-again kind of thing because it was delicious and not too much cheesecake and well, looking at it now makes me want it again...

Oh no, July cake, I am so sorry. Look at that poor, ugly cake. It's just...not one of my better cakes. This is not the fault of the recipe, it's mine and mine alone. The recipe is fine! I decided I wanted to turn it into a surprise cake. But not make enough for two round layers. So it ended up being one round cake I cut in half and...Well, it was an interesting cakesperience.

The recipe I used was Cellular Peptide Cake with Mint Frosting and the cake itself is tasty. But, uh, maybe if you're going to make it, follow the recipe better than I did and don't try to shove a bunch of mint M&M's inside it!

For August we're back to chocolate and whiskey and hmm now that I'm looking back on all my cakes this year I think I have a slight preference! When I first spotted the Double Chocolate Whiskey Cake with Whiskey Ganache, I apparently was convinced it was for one of your standard round cake pans and not a 10in spring form (I guess they're right when they tell you to read the recipe through before starting!) and so ended up with way too much cake...Seriously making a cake a month results in so. much. cake. I can't really stress that enough.

Anyway instead of dividing the batter into two round pans I put half in one and made a bunch of mini cakes in others. Then I threw a little birthday party for some toy dinosaurs I had, because it's just been a hard few months (I'm sure you know what I mean!) and I needed a little happiness in my day.

And that's where I'm at with cakes! Everyone needs a sweet diversion every now and then.

Cheers!

The World's Largest Penny and Update!

So it's again been a loooooong time and is it just me or is this summer going faster than ever? Well I went away for the weekend and noticed the World's Largest Penny was along the way and I just had to stop for it. Look at it! It's huge! It's made of concrete so not out of actual pennies, but it's nevertheless very neat.

There were pennies piled at the bottom too. The story is great. Dr. Kate, badass doctor of the northwoods, pushed to build a local hospital and apparently kids helped by getting penny donations. Hence the massive monument to the penny. I really love these sorts of interesting attractions and the stories behind them. I'm trying to get some inspiration out of it all!

On that note, a bit of a writing update. I've been working on a sequel to Flame and Snow and trying to figure out what to write next! I'm really tempted to go back to small town Wisconsin cozy mysteries and this penny only makes that worse. Otherwise I have a few shorter works that will be out towards the end of the year. I'll try to update more often!

Until then, Cheers!

Flame and Snow Cover Reveal!

Ahhh! It's been a long time and I'm sure no one wants to hear about my busy life--but!--I'm still writing! And I've got a new project coming out very soon. This one is totally different, too. No longer am I writing cozy mysteries! (I might go back someday though.) This new novel is a paranomal fantasy. Think shifters with magic powers in a second-world fantasy setting.

A little bit about it...It definitely has a strong fantasy flavor to it. I had a lot of fun describing the world and the places in it, and how the main characters related to it all. Because of course they're from the middle of nowhere, just trying to get by in their lives and not be discovered as shifters. Only...there's obviously a shifter nemesis with devious plots, and who could possibly stop him?

Probably the main characters. Probably. Check out the blurb:

Generations ago, shifters -- many with magic powers -- were accepted throughout Emylnor. But a war with the nearby dragon nation bred concern, and though Emylnor's forces beat back the invasion, the shifters retreated into hiding.

Akton is a weasel shifter who seems to have no magical talents. When he is hunted, Talfryn joins the fight, finally able to flex his salamander flame powers. But while they make a good team, the thrill quickly wears off when they uncover recruitment orders. A shifter named Basil is building an army.

Someone has to warn Queen Ylenia before Basil can launch Emylnor into another war. When Akton and Talfryn volunteer to deliver the information to her, they have no intention of getting deeply involved with the fight -- or each other. But to stop Basil, they need to learn to trust each other completely, and fast. Or all of Emylnor will burn ...

And now for the cover!

Perfect for a fantasy, right? You can preorder the ebook (which will be out on May 20th!) here, and the paperback (out on May 31) here.

Cheers!

A Cake a Month: March

I know it's a little late for it but this month I decided to make a king cake! After last month's ridiculously rich and sweet monstrosity this yeast dough-based cake seemed like a good idea.

There's an unending amount of king cake recipes online, but I used this one. I put food dye in my icing instead of using sprinkles because I didn't have sprinkles, and it still turned out looking impressive. It tastes good, too, and is great with coffee in the morning. Although I say that about every cake I make...Well, it's not a lie!

Cheers!

Yolks on You Box Set

The mysteries have all been cracked, the perps have all been apprehended, and the heroes have stumbled upon an egg-filled ever after, so what's next? A box set, of course! I'm very egg-cited to announce that all five of the Yolks on You mysteries are going to be available as a box set! Just look at that bright, happy cover.

I had so much fun with Kiko and Dom and the ridiculousness of their town, Mount Angus, that it's been hard to leave them and move on. But I was running out of people to murder! I hope you've enjoyed following along with them yourself, and if you were interested but didn't know where to start...try the beginning! The box set is available here, and hopefully you'll find it all it's cracked up to be!

Happy reading and cheers!

A Cake a Month: February

This barely adequate photo does not do this cake justice. I'm into month two of the "bake a cake a month" goal on my Day Zero Project list, and this is better than the last. I think this goal will probably kill me.

So, above is a thin slice of Epic Chocolate Stout Cake with Chocolate Bourbon Sour Cream Frosting (recipe here), which is just as epic as it sounds. Really. If you have the time and want to impress people (for the love of all that is good and chocolatey, if you make this, make this for a group of people), this will do it. It is rich, oh so rich you can only eat a small piece at a time.

Or maybe that's just me...Cheers!

Eggs and Kisses Bonus Recipe

I don't even know how to begin this post--today's the release of the last Yolks on You book! I've had so much fun writing about Kiko and Dom's mystery solving and watching how their relationship develops that it's hard to let them go. But alas, it was time to tie their storyline up in a nice little bow, and I think this is a good place to end the series.

I hope you've had as much fun reading about them as I've had writing about them! As usual, you can find an ecopy of Eggs and Kisses at the JMS Books site (they have reward points now!) or you can get a print copy. Find out what sorts of chaos they get themselves into over Valentine's Day!

The recipe this time is an easy way to make a sweet breakfast! I give you: Nutella Cherry Heart Pies!

Nutella Cherry Heart Pies

1 15 oz box pie crusts (two crusts)
1 21 oz can cherry pie filling
nutella
cold water
powdered sugar (for serving)

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Roll out crusts and cut into quarters (like cutting a pizza).

2. Place one quarter over another (see picture below) to make four pairs. If some are slightly bigger, place the bigger ones over the small ones.

3. To make the pies heart shaped, cut out a little triangle from the middle of the curved part of the crust, and cut each of the side corners off (see picture below).

4. Flip the top crust up and add nutella and cherry pie filling, leaving space at the edges for pressing the pies shut.

5. Dip your finger in the cold water and run it around the edges of the crust (this will help seal the pies). Flip the top crust down and pinch the edges shut with a fork. Poke a few holes in the top (so your pies won't explode in the oven!).

6. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges of crust are golden brown. Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and enjoy!

Easy to make (even if you can't cut hearts!) and definitely tasty enough to impress! (Plus, if you don't have a valentine, you have them all to yourself! I see no downside.)

Cheers!