It seems that in the next few days we are celebrating EVERYTHING! It’s midwinter, so every culture and religion seems to be having some sort of festival to commemorate it. For me, the karate mom, writer, and mom to one Valentine’s Day birthday child-the pressure is absolutely on.
My latest book is in the hands of the publishing gods and hopefully we’ll see that before the weekend is up, fingers crossed. Otherwise, you can unwrap your Valentine a little later. I’ll post the links as soon as they are available.
I had my beignets last week, and I’m making cake pops and home made chocolates for the imps endeavors. The not so chubby hubby has invited me out for a wine tasting this weekend, and I may just have to take him up on it.
There is something altogether insane about this weekend. I love my slasher movies on Friday the 13th, but they’ll be playing in the background while I get some work done this weekend. At least I’ll have some bloodcurdling screams to comfort me.
The news from my endocrinologist is not good, and she says the medication I’m on to fight my autoimmune disease has probably caused the diabetes (not news). I’m watching my sugar and diet and everything is in normal range for now. I’m working very hard to keep it that way. I’ve been on insulin before and the thought of replacing a treatment I know that works (insulin) with a pill that hasn’t been effective for anyone I know on it, has made me a very good girl with watching what I eat and when. (Must be one of those things, since the insurance has to make insulin affordable they offer alternatives rather than pay for it. I’ve watched people have bouts of hypoglycemia and lose digits on the alternatives, so I’m just going to agree to disagree and we’ll see where we are on the next A1C. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers)
Happy Year of the Horse 2026!
Back to all things fun and parties. This week is so filled with celebrations, I want to take a moment and wish everyone Happy Mardi Gras, Happy Lunar New Year, Happy Valentine’s Day, and unless you’re skiing- hopefully no more snow. There is also a special birthday on Valentine’s Day, so happy 30th birthday Claire- may all your wishes come true!
If you’re a February baby like Claire, I hope you have a fun birthday, too. Since the Lenten time will soon be on us, I’m going to take a couple hours to plan out my menu during this critical time of the year. I have some in the family that adhere to traditions of fasting, some that eat meat, some with food preferences… so the meals they do eat need to be extra nutritious, while still being carb friendly (the hubby loves curried chicken, and it’s within his diet plan, so yea!).
During lent I look for organizations to work with either through sponsorship or stewardship to help out those in need, local and abroad. Since the happy hubby and I wear many hats that can mean entertaining for charitable walks, school events, fundraisers… or donating to some local charities or people in need. We already have some of those events lined up, and I’m happy to be able to bring a smile to children of all ages.
If you have read some books from the All Tied Up In Knots series, you understand the kind of crazy that goes with being a professional entertainer. I’ve drawn from my own experiences and that of other entertainers I work with to flesh out the characters. You have to have nerves of steel, a strong back, and a permanent smile. The excitement and joy children and adults get when they see the balloon decor, henna artistry, balloon twisting, glitter tattoos, or face painting makes it well worth the effort.
For this weekend, I’ll focus on entertaining locally and getting those taxes started, lol. I’m having some friends over for hurricanes (see my 2023 blogs for the recipe and make them at home or somewhere you don’t need to drive to, just to be as safe as possible) and some fried okra to go with hubby’s spicy curried chicken. The children have asked for eggrolls, but I have eggroll wrappers and ingredients, so we’re all set for that, too.
Regardless of what the Groundhog has foretold, Spring is on the way and I know the doggies can’t wait for their time on the cool green grass. I’m awaiting those long walks in the park, not mad dashes for the shelter of the car or the house.
Wishing you a week(end) of celebrating with family & friends.
***King of the Mardi Gras is a FREE download for 3 days only February 15th, 16th, & 17thon AMAZON***
With Valentine’s Day just a week away, I’ve been reminded that homemade gifts are best from the not so chubby hubby, my Eastern European import. Though I have plans to enjoy some wine and chocolate at a bookish event that day, I’ll still make some time for homemade truffles. (Recipe below)
Handmade gifts have always been a favorite of mine and I began my writing career in earnest to give the hubby a special Christmas gift. He’s as big a reader as I am, though our paths divulge on what we read. He is high fantasy, sci-fi, dark romance, and historical whereas I substitute horror for history-though if you look at history, it’s not much of a diversion.
This past weekend, getting in the Mardi Gras mood since Mardi gras, Valentine’s Day, and the Lunar New Year all fall within the same week, I took a trip to Beignets Donuts in Denville, NJ for some of their mouth watering beignets. While I was there, I had one of their specialty drinks, a rose cappuccino.
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m all about health beneficial bitters, and coffee and rose are among them, so this combination was perfect. The rose syrup they used was sweet but not overly so, and the bitterness of the coffee was perfect with the over the top perfection of the beignets which were serve steaming hot.
No, they are not a blog sponsor, but if you’re in the area stop by and get you some of their specialty donuts or beignets. We drove about an hour, which for a fantastic beignet outside of the great state of Louisiana is definitely worth the drive.
My son had been asking for beignets for some time. Did I tell you he’s a fan of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog? Well every time we put it on he’s asking for beignets and can you blame him?
Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t make yeast doughs. It’s a witchy thing, yeast just dies on me leaving breads, donuts/Pączki, poppyseed cake, and even fermented drinks completely flat. I’ve even gone so far as to try wearing gloves and using one of those failproof bread makers, where I didn’t have to touch anything but my juju just up and kills the yeast and instead of a nice loaf I end up with a kitchen disaster similar to one in I Love Lucy reruns. That being said, I’ll leave the beignets to the professionals and stop in for another bite and a coffee (that’s ‘cawfee’ for everyone in NJ) real soon.
I’ve elected to forgo the cocktail/mocktail this week for candy. I’m not the kind of girl that likes those skinny cocktails, and if I’m limiting myself to 100 gratuitous calories, it’s going to be a dark chocolate truffle. (see that recipe below)
In the meantime, while I am busy writing, or at least trying to keep my ass in a seat long enough to turn out another book, I am prone to distractions. I have two small distractions (Butler and Mooshu the Chinese Crested Powderpuff dogs) that keep me out visiting the deer and the occasion possum, racoon, fox, or muskrat that happens by. Living near a salt marsh means that even in the colder months and this brutal 2026 winter we get to see nature on the daily, even if its just warblers fluffing out their feathers to stay warm, or Canadian geese enjoying the “warmer” weather in NJ.
For the dogs, everything is an interest. Because of their keen senses, I get to see things I would have otherwise missed. Since this winter had been bitterly cold, those walks are shorter and skin and paws are thoroughly inspected and cleaned. They haven’t met a shoe they couldn’t Houdini out of yet and we’ve tried buckles, straps, elastics, roll-ons… you name it but by the time they get down the stairs, the shoes are off. For us that means lots of paw butter, to keep their toe-beans soft and supple despite the cold and salt. It’s funny to watch them bliss out when they get their toes rubbed. Paw butter recipe(double, triple, quadruple as needed): 2 tbsp shea butter, 1 tbsp coconut oil, and 2 tbsp beeswax pellets melted together in a double boiler. Add 2-3 drops of Vitamin E oil, pour into heat safe tins, and let it cool. It will firm up and you can use it liberally. Some people like to add mint scent or others to the mix. I leave it plain since the dogs use their sense of smell considerably more than we do.
Since I’m the kitchen witch at home, let’s talk truffles. The recipe I use is quick and simple and easy enough for children to help out. My daughter’s favorite are dusted with cocoa powder, but I like to dip mine in melted dark chocolate or those colored candy chocolate wafer things that you can just melt in the microwave. Candy wafers are always good to have around the house, just don’t let your pets get ahold of anything with chocolate in them. Theobromine, the chemical compound in chocolate, is fatal to doggies and wolves alike, so ensure you clean everything up tidy before you let your pets back in the kitchen.
Since I am the queen of substitutions, feel free to mix the recipe up and use milk chocolate or white chocolate for your ganache or coating.
Dark Chocolate Rose Ganache Truffles
Ingredients:
2 (100gram bars) 70% or better dark chocolate (200 grams total)
I love Ghirardelli’s 72% Cacao Intense Dark Chocolate bars for this but use your favorite chocolate-since mine is already sweetened I don’t need any additional sugar and I still get my dark chocolate polyphenols for health
4 ounces (volume) heavy cream/whipping cream
Rose flavor to taste (I use a couple drops of Angel Bake Rose flavor but you can use your favorite or swap out rose for any flavoring you like)
organic mini rose petals for garnish (fresh or dried)
cocoa power, melted chocolate, or candy melts to coat
Equipment:
bowls
saucepan
whisk
silicone spatula
cookie scoop or melon baller (small)
Hammer (optional)
How to:
For the ganache, first you need to chop up your chocolate into small pieces and place in a heat safe bowl. I like stainless steel bowls for this but ceramic is okay too.(This is when I gate the doggies in the other room, since in this dry winter chocolate slivers can go in all directions. An alternative is putting the chocolate in a food safe bag and beating it with a hammer, great way to get your frustrations out. I keep my hammer in the kitchen drawer. It’s one of my most useful tools.)
2. Heat your cream in a small saucepan on low to medium heat, stirring the entire time. DO NOT BOIL! We only need it warm enough to melt the chocolate. (Yes, you can microwave your cream in a heat safe container-whatever works for you)
3. Pour your heated cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until combined thoroughly. You want all the chocolate melted smooth. I fold it in first with a silicone spatula and then whisk in the flavoring. Kids will want to lick the spatula, just no double dipping.
4. Cover your ganache and put it in the refrigerator until set. This is the hard part, because no one likes waiting 2-3 hours. Sometimes I’ll start this the night before, so it’s ready to work with in the morning.
5. Make small ball of the ganache with a spoon, cookie scoop, or melon baller and coat in cocoa powder or freeze and dip in melted chocolate or candy melts. Can you use a truffle mold? Yes, of course, but I’m going for the easiest, simplest, way to do things. Truffle molds take things up a notch as fat as looks go, but don’t spend money you don’t have to.
6. While the candies are still wet, add a single mini rose petal or some red sanding sugar. (If you’re going full on Mardi Gras- use green, gold, and purple sugar)
7. Store in cool area until ready to serve
8. Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by. Happy reading. See you next week!
We’ve been buried by snow this year and I find myself writing my latest work while alternatively holding a several times microwaved cup of hot tea, because I just can’t get warm enough. I have Reynaud’s Syndrome, it’s part of my overlap autoimmune disease, but in a nutshell it means my fingers and toes can blanch due to cold, emotional states, and well… just whenever the hell it wants to. I’m sure in the larger picture it is just the body redirecting blood back towards the heart and vital organs but zombie-hand is visually disconcerting.
Wine has been suggested for the condition as it is a vasodilator, and if it lasts more than 30 minutes I may just grab a glass of Pinot Noir and get a dose of resveratrol, a polyphenol antioxidant found in grapes, red wine, berries… I’m always looking to improve my health and if you saw the hand full of supplements I take on the daily to mitigate the symptoms of autoimmune disease you’d wonder how I had room for breakfast. My endocrinologist has asked why don’t I just get one good supplement from one of the larger health food stores, but my allergy to blueberries and mushrooms has made it near impossible to find one that doesn’t contain either. I am the person that calls every company before buying the bottle to find out if either of my two troublesome ingredients are in their “proprietary formula” and for most they are so I end up taking single vitamins. It’s costly and time consuming and frustrating. I eat healthy and I’m one of those weirdos that actually enjoys their veggies (lightly steamed, blanched, or pan fried so they are still crunchy), but when my bloodwork says I’m deficient in something I turn to formulary.
I know some of my readers are living with chronic illnesses and after dealing with this nightmare for decades, I don’t know how you do it. Thanks for being my support and trying to keep me sane in all this bedlam. Stay strong.
HUGE ACORNS IN NOVEMBER!!!
Back to snow, I knew this winter was going to be rough because I read the signs, from the wider banding on woolly bear caterpillars to the size of the acorns. Sometimes even the smell of the air can give you clues to what is coming your way and like a bloodhound I can smell snow before it comes, OCD is my superpower and with it comes complete body awareness-sometimes annoying body awareness. There is something special about every season, and seeing my children and the now less chubby hubby(more on that below) pitch in to clear snow while leaving treats for the non-migratory birds in our area makes me beyond happy. We have a large wildlife population since we live next to a salt marsh.
Though I miss seeing the deer everyday, I know they have nice spots to hide under the wider conifers and there are still some areas of exposed green they can feed and people sneak them food, though before you feed your local wildlife, check what is safe and understand not all animals are friendly, not even deer. However, by me, these deer have learned to take food from people and all year I find offerings people have left for them. I still see them eating grasses and vegetation and occasionally someone’s tasty flowerbed, but it’s all part of getting your vitamins I suppose.
Anyway, embracing the new healthier you is something I got the chubby hubby on board. He has a long family history of diabetes and his sugars were running super high. He is now within normal numbers (with meds, diet and exercise) and has lost around fifty pounds. He would have lost more but the biceps and quads are larger and the six pack he lost decades ago is returning. Muscle weighs more than fat-a note to everyone heading back to the gym, you might actually gain weight in the beginning as you add muscle. We are super proud of the work the now less chubby hubby has done and the example he is setting for the imps.
As for me, I have gotten a new glucose meter and my numbers are within normal limits with diet alone (yay!), even though it means giving up my gummy bears and Dr. Pepper (stress snacks) for a while and weighing my fruit. Discipline is everything and I will be walking more once the weather lifts, hoping the groundhog says it is soon this year. I know my spring weekends are busy because of my side gig as an artist with moving 3-dimensional canvases. If face painting toddlers through adults doesn’t give you a workout, nothing will. I actually do back exercises to be ready for painting, and for any artists out there those yoga balls are great!
Now, I normally leave a recipe and talk up a book and since I don’t have a guest author this weekend, I want to invite you to look through my previous posts at some of the incredible authors we’ve had. Since I am sans author this week, I’m going to tell you about what I’ve been writing.
Valentine’s Day is a huge holiday for me, partly because my daughter was born on that day and partly because I am a hearts and flowers kind of girl. I love adventures and though I was offered a bed and breakfast weekend this year, I had to pass on it because I’ll be celebrating Valentine’s day with my local karate school. I’m bringing the cake pops.
Since it’s such a huge holiday for me, I figured to write a Valentine’s day story, and with me its either monsters or mayhem. This time mayhem won out, so be ready for adventure. Fingers crossed, the Amazon entities will push it through quickly and I’ll have this out to you by Valentine’s Day.
When the snow falls, I’ll be drinking my high-polyphenol hot chocolate which isn’t at all bad without dairy so long as I add 4 grams of sugar of in the raw or add it to decaf American style coffee.
This is a recipe that you can spice up with alcohol, or leave it a virgin and the kids can have it too. There are probably hundreds of versions of this, this is mine. Enjoy!
Strawberry Jello Drink-the perfect mid-winter pick me up
Ingredients:
1-6oz. Package strawberry flavored Jello
2-cups hot water
4-cups ice (lemonade ice cubes perk this up even more)
1-2 liter Sprite to taste (substitute lemon or lime flavored seltzer if you are going for less sugar)
2 cups pineapple juice
1 container of fresh strawberries
You’re also going to need:
1- Large carafe/jug
1- heat resistant 8 cup container
1- kettle
1-cutting board
Glasses for serving
Oven mitts
Ice cube tray-if your making your own lemonade ice cubes
How to make it:
First, assemble everything you need
Cut strawberries in half or slices, reserve a few for garnish
Boil water in kettle
Pour two cups boiling water into heat safe container. I use borosilicate glass or Pyrex. Don’t forget your oven mitts here. This is super hot.
Add Jello and stir until dissolved. Will still be hot so be careful.
Let Jello mixture cool slightly.
Add your pineapple juice to the Jello mixture. The bromelain in the pineapple juice will keep the Jello from setting, so no worries about a clumpy drink. (Fresh kiwi also works if you don’t have pineapple juice-actinidin in kiwi stops Jello from setting)
Cool completely
Pour in a pitcher, add your Sprite or lemon lime soda and get ready to serve.
Fill glasses with ice (lemonade cubes if you have them) and sliced strawberries. Fill glasses with drink and garnish with strawberry.
Serve and enjoy!
If you are skipping out on Dry January and making this for the over 21 crowd add 1.5 ounces of champagne, vodka, tequila, or clear rum to each glass or 1 cup(8oz.) per pitcher. Remember to be sure everyone has a safe way home and no one is driving anywhere-the sugar and alcohol sneak up on you.
The imps have been told they have a snow day tomorrow, which is super happy for them and busy for me. Anticipating this frozen hell, I did some meal prepping and stocked up on things I could just toss on the stove, no refrigeration required.
We’ve lost the Internet and power before, and I’m not sure which is worse because children have homework they cannot complete offline and textbooks they cannot read offline. It’s a whole different kind of upsetting for me, because when I take a class I always order the paperback book, even if the virtual one is included. I like to study away from the electronics and having multiple pathways to the same information in the brain (writing, speaking, reading, hearing…) all helps. I taught IT for a few years and always insisted on students having a physical copy of the book they could take notes in, highlight, and underline and study from for their exams once the class is over. Seeing my child rush to get work done before we lose the Internet, power, or both, makes me shake my head as much as when I went to the grocery store for veggies and saw angry people arguing over who got to the last container of milk first.
I know the practice is to stock up on eggs, milk, and bread, but unless you are going to make French toast or bread pudding that’s kind of useless. It’s okay though, we all do those useless little things that make us feel in control when life spirals out of control, like during a snowstorm. If your crutch is having bread, milk, and eggs, by all means do that and feel secure. Mental health is important, even more so when you are stressed.
I took a mental health holiday this week and skipped out on the Liquid Friday book blog, sorry readers but my heart wasn’t in it this week. A lot of things have been going on in my life and though I have the tendency to turn everything around to a good thing in the end, they aren’t necessarily great right now. I’ve been living with autoimmune illness for most of my life though the diagnosis only came about 16 years ago. Knowing that it wasn’t all in my head was a good thing, but I feel like at least one of the learned people I went to for help should have connected the dots sooner.
I did ballet, gymnastics, and exercised for two hours a day to stay fit in my teens but I had joint pain and my ESR was elevated. I also had a stomach ulcer and was on Zantac for a while. Pretty weird things for a “normal” teen but we had moved from a city to the suburbs and I ended up with allergies to trees, grass… so I wrote it off mentally as just the stress of the move or physically acclimating myself to the new area. I had so many other little signs, even the ones doctors overlooked in my bloodwork that were like red flags to a rheumatologist. A few years later I started college, another move, and had a rapid weight loss followed by an insane amount of weight gain (+50lbs) though my diet remained largely the same and I did a lot of walking. Eczema and psoriasis were added to the list of problems and something was going on with my thyroid, though they wouldn’t find that out until 3 years later. Still I pressed on and went to nursing school. I graduated tops of my class, though under my uniform was ace bandages on both knees and wraps on my feet. By this point I had bigger digestive issues and at only 21 years old was suggested a colonoscopy to look for ulcerative colitis, a disease in my family. Still more doctors but no definitive diagnosis. More allergy testing. Turns out I reacted to everything including the control-histamine response. Then came asthma and the occasional steroid injection which just shut everything else down for a while and outside of ear infections I felt normal.
Got my tonsils out to stop recurrent ear infections, and thought I’d be in the clear for a little while. Worked as a nurse after graduation and hypoglycemia became an issue. I was told that it was likely that I would have diabetes later because that’s what happens to lots of people with low blood sugar. Tried to watch my diet, but I was very restricted to begin with for suspected food allergies.
I got married, got pregnant with my first child and discovered lactose intolerance at a time I needed more calcium than ever. I turned to supplements and carried on. The pregnancy was problematic and I was given a 5% chance of carrying my daughter to term. I left my job and focused on her. Minimal stress, supplements, and bed rest… a miracle happened for us and she was born healthy. By the time I weaned her I got pregnant with baby number two and tried to just continue on.
Shit just kept happening.
Four more miracle children and three bouts of gestational diabetes that required insulin and a dietician to tell me I wasn’t eating enough later, I weaned my last baby from breastfeeding and that’s when everything got ugly. The minor aches and pains became insurmountable obstacles that hampered my trips to the zoo and other favorite outings with the children. It got to the point where I could barely walk and my weight fluctuated again with no real changes to my diet.
It was a snowy day like today and I couldn’t open my mouth without pain. I couldn’t eat and moving my mouth to speak was agony. My fingers twisted up with cramps that lasted hours and didn’t relax even with potassium supplements. I saw a rheumatologist who told me I was a fat American and needed stomach stapling. I had been to dieticians, nutritionists, and doctors and I went with a positive ANA (lupus test) to her for help and she just yelled at me about my weight and told me the pain was fibromyalgia.
I was ready to throw in the towel but I had so much to live for, the beautiful children that depended on me, a husband that helped me with everything, and the hope of a life without pain. I just didn’t want to see another doctor, hear another misdiagnosis or criticism… I was tired.
I tried one more doctor.
This one listed to everything I had to say and told me that it sounds consistent with fibromyalgia but he wanted to run some more blood tests. He took the blood in his office without making me go somewhere else and wait again and he called me a few days later to come back and see him again. He had news. He had a diagnosis.
With the treatment, in I don’t know how many years, I could get out of bed without help, walk around the house, hold up three fingers… I was told to stay on the drugs for six months and then try and wean off them. We tried weaning SLOWLY over a month, and with a lot of head scratching we gave up and tried again two more times when my bloodwork looked better with no success. I have a rounder face from the steroids and unlike most people lost weight on them because a lot of my weight gain was from fluid retention(something other doctors missed). The medication helped but it didn’t fix everything. I still had pain and flare ups, the butterfly rash on my face, muscle cramping, the stiffness in my joints possibly from years of joint damage while I waited for a diagnosis, and we added Plaquenil, a disease modifying drug people now associate with Covid-19 but was originally used to treat malaria. We found I also have the gene for Familial Mediterranean Fever, which explains the fevers and some of the other symptoms. I have medication for that too but the side effects have made me put it on the shelf until I’m a little braver or a little more desperate.
Life continues.
I’m sitting here typing this out while looking out my window at the snow and sipping high flavonoid/flavanol cocoa powder, 4 grams of sugar, and hot water (absolutely no dairy) to do my part for my blood pressure and blood sugar, since my A1C is high enough to officially say I now have diabetes. I am not phases by this most recent addition to the autoimmune disease family I possess: Sharps disease, asthma, colitis, myositis… and the list goes on. I’ve been on the diabetic diet three times in the past and OCD is my superpower so I weigh and measure everything so I have the appropriate grams of carbs at the appropriate time of day with the right combination of protein, fat, flavonoids, and fiber. If I managed to eat my way into diabetes, I will eat my way out of it again or go on insulin(pills don’t work for me since I don’t digest anything properly including blood pressure pills)-not my first rodeo.
Why all this info?
I just want to remind you, there is always hope. No one can kill it, no diagnosis can crush it, no challenge can stop you. Not even the store running out of eggs, milk, or bread before a big winter storm. You got this! Even if no one sees what a warrior you are, how brave you have to be each day, or how hard you have it… illness does not define you, it is just a bump in the road and maybe you need to put on a cape everyday and remind yourself of your super power.
As for me, I find workarounds and I’ve learned to ask for help. It’s the scariest thing to me, the OCD warrior, to say, “hey, I could use a little help,” but sometimes you just need to put on your big girl panties and ask for help, whether its asking a neighbor to help you shovel your driveway or asking someone in the store to reach you that last loaf of wholewheat bread before a storm… don’t be afraid to ask. The worst they can say is “no”-like we haven’t heard that enough times already, right? Ask for help. And if you know someone struggling with illness, remind them not to give up. be that person that says “yes”.
Now, while you still have power and Internet (hope it stays that way for you), find out where your heating stations are and write them down for you and possibly a neighbor or two that needs to know. If you can help someone, great, please do, and if you need help ask a friend or neighbor. Please don’t call 911 to see when the power will be restored, they’ll be busy with emergency calls-check with your electric company.
I know my children will be out trying to build a snow fort and making a cash of snowballs to be ready for an all out war with each other followed by a warm hot chocolate (theirs will have milk). Sleds are waiting for the perfect hill or for the kids to safely give the dogs a ride to the park.
As for what to do with all the bread, milk, and eggs you bought-French toast is an option and below is a recipe for bread pudding-
Bread Pudding-
Ingredients:
5 to 6 slices day old bread cut into 1″ cubes, or let the kids tear them into small pieces
2 Tablespoons melted butter (I use unsalted and toss in the microwave in a safe bowl until liquid)
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
2 cups milk (or nondairy substitute)
1/2 cup white or golden sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar(lightly packed)
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar, vanilla extract, or vanilla paste
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 whole eggs beaten
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
Put your bread pieces into your baking pan (8 inch square, 9 inch rectangle…meatloaf pan-whatever you got)
Drizzle over your melted butter, add raisins, and nuts(optional)
Mix your milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a bowl until creamy and smooth. You can use an electric beater. You just want everything to look uniform, no big clumps of egg white or yolk.
Pour this over the bread mixture in the pan and let it soak in. It’s okay to mix it with a fork but your raising and nuts will probably fall to the bottom of the pan.
Bake about 45 minutes, until firm. Serve warm with whipped cream, ice cream, or chocolate drizzle.
Depending on your bread, it may have more carbs, so if you are watching your carbs, count everything out and cut the appropriate size piece. When I make it for me, I cut out the white sugar completely, switch the brown sugar for sugar in the raw, omit the raisins, and cut out any add-ons like ice cream or whipped cream unless I make it myself with almost no sugar. I also add 1/4 cup almond slivers and 1/4 cup walnuts. There’s some research out there that says nuts help with diabetes, nuts are satisfying, and walnuts in particular are heart healthy-so it’s a win.
You can also add in an apple if you’re trying to get more fiber. You will have a moister pudding, but apples are so good. Just remember that if you are counting carbs, you gottta count that, too.
If you need more protein, add a scoop or two of protein powder to your wet mix before you pour it over the bread. You can pretty much do that with any baked good, really important if you’re doing the whole macros thing.
When I am on the diabetic diet, I eat normal food. I just count my carbs and portion everything accordingly. I used to use a sheet of paper from my diabetic educator with all the foods I ate and how much and when, now I have an app that does all that for me (yay! for technology) but if the power goes out and my app doesn’t work, I still know what my exchanges are and I read labels. I can even have cake or ice cream so long as I weigh it and have no more than 15 gram carb serving. Yes, some food choices are better than other when controlling your sugar, but denying yourself something you really want often makes people cheat. Better to portion than to cheat. Of course, check with your dietician or diabetic educator to see what’s best for you, but remember that stress doesn’t help.
Told you OCD was my superpower! Find yours and have fun with it.
I’m so excited for 2026. I feel like on some level we just barely survived 2025. For everyone I’ve spoken with recently, it was a hard year. When things get too hard for me, I just shut down. Living with autoimmune illness (part of it thyroid) just saps your energy to begin with, so when I have to do more than my spoons allow, my body stops me. Having even one sick person at home, is enough to flare my immune system, so with four of them sick in succession, I’m done. A one hour nap becomes a two or three hour nap and I’m waking up wondering what the hell happened. The dogs are like personal alarm clocks, so I never sleep too long. I am so grateful for the slower pace for a week or two before the middle children go back to college for the semester and the mom-mobile rides again.
I had my bubbly with family to start out 2026 and at least for January, I’ll only be cooking with wine (or tequila). It’s a great time to focus on goals, gummy bears (or spiders), and health. We all have our vices and I’m tweaking mine to be a little healthier. With one diabetic and one pre-diabetic (the bloodwork came back) in the house it means more veggies, less quick carbs, and a higher protein intake (my diabetic is on the shot and losing muscle mass is not an option).
My almost middle child has insulin resistance. His bloodwork does not show diabetes or other issues, but a sensitivity to artificial sweeteners(check your liver enzymes if you drink diet soda & other diet beverages). I can’t drink them either for GI issues, so I just do flavored teas or juice and sparkling water, of course this would happen to the pickiest child on earth, the one that hasn’t touched fruit since he was born. It was easier to sneak vitamins into his food when he was younger, even if it means his pasta had pureed carrots, beets, and spinach in it, or desserts included pureed fruit. It’s a texture thing and he can’t stand it. I’ve been told people on the spectrum have strong aversions to certain foods, I’m seeing that, so I got a juicer. We’re going to try and make pulp-free homemade juices or he’s going to drink the green sludge in the morning with 100% of his daily everything in it. That’s all there is to it.
The soda junkie in him won’t go away easily so we’re back to mocktails (see how this works, lol). I have stockpiled seltzer in all kinds of flavors and fruit juices. It’s how I survived the diabetic diet for three pregnancies. One ounce of your favorite no sugar added juice and seven ounces of any seltzer and you’ve got a homemade soda, with usually no more than 5 grams carbohydrates (compared to 40 grams in a soda).
Tonight I’m drinking 1/2 ounce pomegranate juice, 1/2 ounce cranberry juice, and 7 ounces orange seltzer. We’ll see if the man-child likes it, too.
Since my Christmas book is out, and it’s a quick read spicy vampire book, I’m listing the recipe for a Mocktail Renfield below. Happy Dry January!
Mocktail Renfield-
3 ounces blood orange juice
1 ounces cranberry juice cocktail
4 ounces cold white tea or jasmine tea
gummy spider(or worm) for garnish
ice
Fill a tall or hurricane glass with ice. Add in juices, pour in cold tea, stir. if your man-sters are fussy like mine, skip the ice and use pulp-free orange juice. Garnish with gummy spider and serve. Enjoy!
Wishing you a great start to 2026, may it not be a dumpster fire!
The weather outside has been frightful in NJ and combined with the loss of daylight hours, it’s making my children a little grinchy. There are some holiday traditions I know will always pull them out of the funk and get them smiling. Celebrations are important and help mark the passage of time, something that is always in short supply.
This weekend my youngest is going through all his college acceptances, of which there are many and praying to the gods of finances that he can manage to attend one of them. The offers thus far have been lackluster and even with financial aid, make most of them an improbability. So far it he has gotten accepted to six of twenty fantastic schools he applied to in the tristate area and one up in Massachusetts. We are waiting anxiously on the rest.
For a valedictorian, he’s probably gotten accepted to the most colleges & universities of anyone in his school, and with the brilliant minds at work, that says a lot. I’m hoping he is accepted to all of the schools he applied and then one of them will give him an offer he can’t refuse. He is like me with a wanderlust, making him eager to be away and explore new settings. He’s also a tireless geek like his mom and you can find him at his computer researching information for papers and reports until dawn and then going to school to apply his research.
I don’t often talk about my children on social media because I feel like everyone has a right to their privacy, but I’m so proud of him that I had to share it. That being said, he’s a tad grumpy during this stressful time and I know the activity that cheers him up the most-making cookies. He has a sweet tooth that store bought treats can’t satisfy and I encourage his initiative in the kitchen.
Like me he uses fresh fruit, real vanilla, and a little alcohol(the adult beverage kind) as flavoring agents since it’s more economically practical than the little expensive bottles of artificial fruit flavors. Since his grandmother sent us a crate of oranges, I saved one for sugar cookies. I use the rind and all, so I’ll leave you my recipe for drop sugar cookies below.
I am in the process of finishing a book (quick read) and it’s absolute bedlam here, but our Christmas tree is up (it’s black this year), decorated with lights and shiny balls, and we’re having a spooky creepmas for the kids since that’s what they decided. I have creepy paper and bows and am ready to cook a roast beast in full on grinch mode, after our night of the seven fishes because traditions are important(at least a few of them).
The dogs are getting a treat for the holidays, too, but I have to be careful with what I am feeding to Mooshu since he is willing to try anything but changes to his diet often have disastrous consequences. If you have doggies remember not everything on the holiday table is safe for doggies and it is better to make special foods for them in advance-like boiled chicken and fresh veggies or sweet potato, something that doesn’t contain any salt, garlic, onion, or sugar. We got some lovely purple sweet potatoes, full of anthocyanins to help keep them youthful, and we have a metal garbage can that is dog proof to keep them from any tempting cooked bones.
While you wait for my quick read, I’ll pop the recipe below. As with any sugar cookie, add a little more flour, refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight, and you can roll them out and use your favorite cookie cutters. Add a little natural food coloring for fun swirl cookies.
Drop Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter or butter substitute
1 1/2 cup sugar (granulated or 10x)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla sugar or 1/2 vanilla bean caviar
1 tsp. orange liqueur
grated orange rind/zest (about 1/2 an orange)
(optional) 1 Tablespoon orange juice
What to do:
Cream butter and sugar together
Add liqueur, zest, vanilla sugar, and fruit juice (1 tablespoon if you choose to add it)
Beat eggs and add in slowly
Sift all your dry ingredients (salt, flour, baking powder) together and slowly add to your wet ingredient mixture until thoroughly combined and without lumps. We don’t want to overwork the cookie dough and make them touch, but we don’t want to chomp down on a lump of flour either.
Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight. If you are making cookie cutter cookies add at least 2 Tablespoons extra flour.
When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop cookie mixture by the teaspoon or roll out 1/8 inch thick and use cookie cutters. You can add sugar sprinkles before you bake or decorate after. Bake 6-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool before decorating with royal icing. If you have small children or big artsy ones this activity can take hours 🙂
Serve and enjoy
Tip: I like to sandwich some rose jam or orange marmalade between two cookies-so good with a cup of tea or coffee.
Have a happy holiday. If you are looking for holiday cocktail mixers-check the Liquid Friday blog for lots of great recipes, some from your favorite authors.
It’s time to celebrate. The decorations are up, the pumpkins have been carved, the puppies are in costume, and a big bucket of candy is waiting outside for my trick-or-treaters. I’ve got some party foods in the oven, including pigs-in-a-blanket and spooky English muffin pizzas for the kids. Since I’m having children at the party, I will have some spooky mocktails for them and something a little stronger for me. Make sure you pick one color with alcohol and one color without and please if you are using a punchbowl, put the nonalcohol version out. Keep the over 21 version safely away from children and make sure guests that are drinking are not driving-I can’t stress this enough.
I’ve spent this month getting my newest book, Knot A Psychic out on Amazon in the many forms readers like, so I’m completely batty at this point. After the big release I grabbed my favorite horror books from Stephen King, Anne Rice, Clive Barker, and some of the original greats and have been reading. It’s Halloween here all year, so scary books are not in short supply.
This is also the last day 10/31/2025 to pick up your free Kindle copy of Knot An Actress, book 1 of the All Tied Up In Knots series. Don’t wait until the free offer is gone.
With the snacks in the oven and the timer set, it’s time to start making the mock/cocktails. See the recipes below and let me know which is your favorite.
Pick one for adults and one for children (different colors so there are no mix ups).
Dracula’s Teeth- sure to knock the teeth off your favorite vampire! It’s a fun twist on a Kir Royale.
Adult version-(this has alcohol, so drink in moderation and don’t drive or operate heavy machinery)
Making for children or alcohol free peeps-omit all the alcohol (use the substitutions) and put in cute spooky glasses-yes you can add some fangs ’cause its fun. I’ve also used clear plastic cups with lids and bat stickers-huge success.
What you’ll need:
Wax or Plastic Vampire Teeth
Martini Glasses or Champagne Flutes
A bottle of CHILLED Champagne, Spumante, or Moscato depending on your taste (substitute sparkling cider for children)
Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur (substitute 1/2 ounce blackberry juice and 1/2 ounce black cherry juice for children)
Enough Grenadine to dip your fangs in
Recipe- double, triple, or quadruple as needed
1 ounce Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur (5 ounces if you make it by the pitcher)
5 ounces Champagne, Spumante, or Moscato (entire bottle if you make it by the pitcher)
Enough grenadine to dip your glasses in and fangs to garnish your glasses(see image above for inspiration). What I like to do is take a small plate and pour about 2 ounces grenadine onto it and just refill as needed when rimming glasses. You can also add some red dusting sugar if you have sparkly vampires.
Rim your glasses and soak your fangs in grenadine.
Add 1 ounce Chambord to your glass.
Fill to just below the rim with 5 ounces or so of your favorite bubbly.
Garnish glass with fangs, and serve cold.
Purple People Eaters
Remember, if you are making this for ADULTS THAT DRINK ALCOHOL(over 21) you can use the alcohol version. If you are making this for children or adults that don’t drink alcohol, double the amount and put in cute glasses(not shot glasses).
What you need:
Gummy eyeballs, lots of them!
Shot glasses (or fun cups for children)
Vodka (substitute 7-up or Sprite for children)
Blue Curaçao (substitute Blue Kool-aid for children)
Sweet & Sour Mix (omit for children)
Grenadine (Thicker red kool-aid works fine if you don’t have any on hand)
Cranberry juice- the redder, the better
Ideally, you’re looking to get that purple color so play with ingredients if you don’t like the shade.
Recipe:
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 ounce Blue Curacao
1 ounce sweet & sour mix
1 ounce grenadine
1 ounce or more cranberry juice
Add all ingredients to a measuring cup or pitcher and pour into shot glasses. Add gummy eyeball, serve.
Remember if you are serving this variation for children, make sure everything (including your grenadine) is alcohol free. Double or triple the recipe for children and don’t forget the gummy eyeballs. Yes, you can make this all in a punch sized bowl, but I prefer cups with lids for small children. (2024 Target had these cute eyeball shaped glasses with lids, perfect for children that want some spooky fun- or you can decorate paper cups with a self adhesive googly eyeball just saying)
First, a little bit about what my weekends have looked like when I’m not gigging. We’ve been running to every farm, orchard, and spooky fun event we can find that fits around the doggies schedules and mine. I have five imps on the cusp of adulthood, so I’m as busy as a bee. One wants to sew his own costume, one wants to go shopping for his, another isn’t certain he is dressing up, and my oldest boy wants to wear his (with full make-up) to work… guess I’ll be face painting, too. My eldest will probably be going out and IDK what she’ll be wearing, but she has the make-up part down no matter what it will be.
It’s only two weeks until Halloween and I couldn’t be more excited! I love watching all the children in costumes and spooky fun with things like Fright Fest at Six Flags, Haunted Houses, Trunk or Treat events, and as a psychic reader(told you I was a professional entertainer) I love doing lots of fun parties. It’s a great way to meet and greet and of course use some of my talents-highly satisfying for me.
Octoberfest Celebration
In November, everything begins to slow down as enter the holiday season, so this is really the last chance to kick up your heels. The farms and orchards are full of produce. Craft stores are full of spooky odds and ends that will probably end up on my shelves and around the house, because we’re spooky all year at home. It’s like a month long Mardi Gras for me and I love every moment of it.
Those apples are almost black, but so delicious!
Spoils of war, well… they had to find some with green that were low enough to pick. The tarter the better.
Look at all those pumpkins! I can almost smell the pumpkin bread.
While I wait for my water to boil for a cup of tea, I’m going to tell you what just happened- my newest book Knot A Psychic is now available on paperback and Audiobook in addition to Kindle on Amazon. Everything went through so quickly, I suspect they are using A.I. As an IT, I’m not a fan of A.I. endeavors. There are uses for the technology, but every gain comes with some risk, so be careful. No A.I.’s were harmed in the making of any of my books. When I run out of ideas, I take a long walk with my dogs and inspiration finds me. I like to flesh out my characters in my head first before committing them to Word and arguing with it about the spellings. Yes, culantro is a word. It’s an herb in Puerto Rican cooking often autocorrected to cilantro, grr! But more on cooking later.
In any case, despite my unseen arguments with technology, I’ve been writing code since 1986 and am now covering DOS commands with my son who is studying IT since many of the Linux/Unix commands are the same. Being a geek for a kid completely paid off and I hope he finds his passion in computer security. The hard part is to land that first IT job.
My mind is wandering today. I have six books to continue working on but I’m thinking about Monkey Bread and candy apples, or maybe candy apple topped monkey bread-that might be over the top sweet. A girl has her vices, and even on the diabetic diet I do eat carbs, I just count them.
Let’s do this. I’m going to post a recipe below for the quickest easiest Monkey Bread you’ll ever make, instead of a cocktail this week. Even the hubby comes running for this one.
Easy Monkey Bread
Supplies:
Bundt pan
Large Mixing Bowl
Kitchen Scissors
Ceramic bowl
Knife
Cutting board
Oven- sorry no microwaves for this recipe
Ingredients:
1-2 tart apples (if you got a huge apple 1 is plenty)
3 canisters your favorite oven bake biscuits
1 1/2 cups sugar (I use 3/4 cup organic raw sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar, but whatever you prefer will work)
2 teaspoons powdered Ceylon cinnamon
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup butter spread if you’re watching your fats)
Here’s what to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Melt Butter in ceramic bowl in microwave-a few seconds at a time until liquid-save the wrappers to grease your Bundt pan. if you are making a bigger batch, you can freeze your butter wrappers for next time to need to grease something.
Add butter, sugar, and cinnamon to mixing bowl and give it a good stir
Cut your biscuits into fourths or smaller and add to the mixing bowl, try and coat all the pieces in that buttery sweet cinnamon goodness
Core and dice your apple(s) and add to the mixing bowl. If you don’t like apple peels, you can remove them before dicing.
Stir everything in the bowl until well combined and dump into your Bundt pan.
Place the Bundt pan in a well heated oven and bake for 25-35 minutes until golden brown and well caramelized. It is okay to over bake this a little if you’re afraid it won’t turn out nicely. An alternative is using a lined and greased bread pan-parchment paper. It has gotten me out of a lot of sticky situations.
Let cool slightly.
Turn out your Bundt cake onto a ceramic plate and serve warm.
If you are looking to be completely decadent serve with vanilla ice cream or your favorite cream cheese icing.
Sometimes it takes a while to get to get the e-books up and approved, but this one sailed through. I’m hoping the paperback will be released soon, but in the meantime I’m so excited to share this with you.
Knot A Psychic, is book number 9 of the All Tied Up In Knots Series. It is the third full length book and a crossover book between the All Tied Up In Knots Series and the Help Wanted Romance Series (supernatural & monster books). I wanted a fun way to mix things things up in time for Halloween, so I hope you love this book as much as I do.
Many of you know me from my side job as a Psychic Reader. I’ve always had a love of all things carnival. I think I have Seaside Heights and Six Flags to blame for my cheap thrills addiction. Now, I chase carnivals, whether its for the beautiful belly dancers, clever balloon twisters, candy floss (cotton candy) and sweet makers, henna artists, or other entertainers who knows, I love them all.
Having worked with many other entertainers over the years has given me some insight into the personalities behind the performance. Instead of killing the magic, it has done the opposite and I often find myself making pilgrimages to one faire or another for the rush of adrenaline fueled by thrill rides and excited screams.
My children are equally big on cheap thrills and we get season passes for places I know they’ll stay from the time they open until they shut down for the night. Whether it’s a magician or the thrill of lit up carnival rides after dark that get’s you, you know that feeling of excitement.
Before the big venues shut down for the season, I’m going to go on one more roller coaster (as soon as the weather lifts) and maybe have one last candy apple before Halloween.
Now, back to the book… Knot A Psychic
Here is the blurb:
Mystic, psychic reader extraordinaire, can help everyone else with their troubles but is completely lost when it comes to her own messy life. Her whisperers offer advice but she can’t force people to bend themselves to her will and change the future for the better. It cost her the love of her life, Mike, because he refused to listen to her pleas and succumbed to injuries caused by a motorcycle accident. Bereft, Mystic decides to live her life out alone, away from people.
Johnathon Riley convinces him to do one more gig, an annual event for charity. Chaos ensues, when a serial murderer comes to destroy the only person who might be able to identify him, Mystic. Together with Detective Steve Turner, Mystic is determined to flesh out the criminal, even though it means attending a BDSM event on a cruise under a different identity with no way out if things go wrong.
Ghoulish fun at Six Flags in Jackson, NJ
Since I always include a segment about the author and a recipe, let’s combine the two. I’m a huge fan of apple picking and apple cider-hot, cold, with alcohol… doesn’t matter-just love the stuff. Since I’ve picked up a gallon of apple cider which will last about a day with the imps in the house. It’s cocktail time for me.
Top Shelf Caramel Apple Cocktail-’cause you deserve the good stuff
Ingredients:
Ice
Apple Slices for Garnish
Chopin or Belvedere Vodka
Butterscotch Liqueur
Apple Liqueur
Apple Cider (to taste)
Caramel Drizzle
Fill tall glass with ice and add equal portions (1/2 jigger of each) of Vodka, Butterscotch Liqueur, and Apple Liqueur. Add apple cider to taste and drizzle over caramel for that syrupy sweet taste. Garnish with a slice of orchard fresh apple and serve.
We are just weeks away from the big day! As many of you know, this is my absolute favorite time of year. We’ve been picking apples at our favorite orchards. I’ve sampled some local wines at chocolate pairings… a girl must get her antioxidants and polyphenols, after all. The pups have gotten their costumes and the children have visited the costume store and some specialty online retailers for embellishments to theirs. My small skeleton is smiling from inside the front window and I have my orange and purple lights up. I’m pretty much finished decorating for the season, because my home is spooky year round.
This year, the family has adopted a divide and conquer mentality. Some will be trick-or-treating (weather permitting), some will be handing out sweets at home, and I’m handing out sweets at the mall this year with our martial arts school. I’ve even signed up for some spooky vending opportunities. You’d think I was all set for Halloween.
However, I’m not the traditional spooky Mom with inflatables and pumpkin spice lattes. I swap out haunted hayrides for time alone on completely empty beaches with a book or my work in progress and a hot apple cider. As the roar of the ocean booms over a silent beach, I’m home. There is much to be discovered in the stillness, and I always take time mentally preparing myself for big holidays. It’s a witchy thing, grounding yourself when you need to and I have my favorite ways to ground.
I know that the children will be excited for loot, seemingly ill gotten gains they politely ask for in the form of whatever delectable sugary sweetness is available. I have tiger pops this year and gummy brains, since an itty bitty mentioned a chocolate allergy last year. I also have spider rings and things that are completely sans sugar, since some trick or treaters can’t have any sugar at all. Still, despite the pleasure from seeing children run amuck in their alternate personas, my thoughts return to the family members and pooches that won’t be with us this year. My beloved dead are well cared for in my thoughts and there is not only the memory of the times that we shared held dear in my heart, but the ways in which they forever changed me. I’m kind of like a Frankenstein’s monster in that way, a collection of parts taken from other people and held precariously together.
However, I am exchanging my dumb supper for the mirth of children, something I know my beloved dead would have been most eager to see and hear and I will share that with them this year and for as many years as I drag this body around the earth. It’s my tribute to them in a way, as I know every doorbell ring would have got them up and to the door with candy, maybe not the dogs, but they would have barked their fool heads off in excitement. The thing about loving anyone (even a dog) is you feel their loss acutely, but you also remember their joy. To the matriarch and sister that showed me grace, to the aunt and uncle that showed me perseverance, and to the dogs that gave me endless affection, visit with joy when the veil thins and return with a little of our happiness.
Take a moment to remember your beloved, breath in their wisdom, breathe out despair, and then re-enter the world inspired.
Now, back to the mundane.
With the coming Nor’easter, I have my candles ready.
I have recently submitted a crossover book, something that bridges the gap between my All Tied Up In Knots Series and my Help Wanted Romance Series and now, I’m waiting for the gods of Amazon to release it officially, so I can bring you all the spicy and gory news of it’s arrival.
In the meantime, you have a moment to catch up on both series. Today I’m going to showcase the full length books in the All Tied Up In Knots series. Rope is near and dear to my heart, and I hope I’ve portrayed it in the best light. Rope suspension can be freeing and I hope you have a chance to experience it, whether it’s at a dungeon, a rope event, or one of the many rope shares.
Violet, a young acting student, sees her last chance to get picked for the lead role in the school’s stage production slipping away. Knowing that a talent scout will be there at the opening performance, she must win the lead and cement her chances for stardom or put the last nail in the coffin of her future as an actress.
“You can’t take directions! Seven performances, seven dress rehearsals, and you treat each play as if you personally wrote it.”
But there is still a glimmer of hope. Violet still has four weeks to re-fashion herself into a star, but it’s going to take more than learning lines. She has to reach into everything she has buried down deep inside and find out who she really is.
She meets Jericho Blythe, a strong attractive man, who after making a fortune on Wall Street, dedicated himself to pursuit of darker pleasures. He agrees to train her, if she gives him full control of every aspect of her life for the next critical four weeks.
Time is short but the romance between the two of them will either have them burning as hot as a bright star or leave them scorched forever.
Holly, a former runaway, returns to her hometown to reclaim her life, but it might prove more difficult than she thought. She was the only witness to a double homicide. Her father, a detective, and her mother are both gone and even though she was shot, Holly can’t recall any of the event at all.
Focusing on her future, Holly attends a local college, gets a part time job and is consumed with the desire to learn some fancy pyrotechnics from a renowned expert in the field. As fate would have it, Mr. Riley, is a master of more than one skill and soon she begins to fall for him.
Now that Holly is back and surrounded by people, places, and things from her past, the tumultuous memories begin to resurface. She begins to suspect that she might just be the killer and part of an elaborate cover up. She is torn between her desire for love and the fear of what she might be capable of. Will the truth set her free or destroy everyone she loves?
I always include a recipe of some sort with my blog, and instead of sitting down with a nice amaretto, I’m adding 1/2 shot to my cupcake batter-trust me it’s delicious.
I always include a recipe, and since we are a few weeks away from Halloween, this gives me the perfect chance to give you a super quick cupcake recipe-you can modify it to your taste and I have included some options below, but this is great if you have a school bake sale or just need a cupcake.
Ghost Cupcakes- so good they’ll disappear
Ingredients:
2 cups flour- I use unbleached
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt- you need it to bring out the sweet
1 stick unsalted butter (or 1/2 cup butter substitute)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk (or milk substitute-I use Lactaid, hubby prefers oat milk)
optional add-ins: a few drops food coloring, 1 bar melted dark chocolate, 1/4 cup coconut flakes, 1 Tablespoon amaretto (trust me, it’s delicious), 1Tablespoon lemon juice… just go with whatever flavor profile you’re in the mood for
supplies:
measuring cup/spoons
bowls
whisk or mixer
cupcake liners 20-24
cupcake baking pan
Hot to make it:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (325 degrees Fahrenheit if using nonstick pans) or 177 degrees Celsius. Give it a good ten minutes or so to get warm.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. You can do this by hand or with a mixer. If you are adding in some melted chocolate this is the time to do it.
Add in your vanilla and any liquid flavorings or coloring
Add eggs one a time (always check your eggs first). If you get a shell in, wet your finger and grab it out-works every time. If you want super light cupcakes, whip your egg whites and fold in wet ingredients before adding dry. There are just so many variations on the same recipe.
Combine your dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix (sift if you light light airy cupcakes)
Add milk to your wet ingredients and mix until smooth. This is your last wet ingredient and you will start to stir in your dry ingredients next, so make sure your bowl is big enough to handle everything.
Gradually add in your dry ingredients 1 cup at a time and stir until incorporated. I try not to over stir as the gluten makes the cupcakes chewy instead of fluffy, but you need all of your flour and dry ingredients incorporated.
Sprinkle some rice onto the bottom of your cupcake baking tray in each space. This will stop the bottoms of your cupcakes from burning. Then, line cupcake baking pan with paper liners and add enough cake batter to fill 1/2 to 2/3 of the liner. The baking powder will make them fluff up so you want to leave some room so they don’t spill over and become one giant monster cupcake.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-25 minutes (this varies with your oven and altitude). You can check doneness with a toothpick(should come out clean) or but lightly touching surface. A cooked cupcake will spring back, a raw cupcake will compress.
Once done, let cupcakes cool on wire rack, so they don’t continue cooking in the hot pan.
Decorate with your favorite vanilla icing and chocolate jimmies or mini chocolate chips.
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