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Story Crumbs: A Review

Posted September 19, 2024 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book Events and Tours, Book of the Month Recipes, Uncategorized / 0 Comments

This post is sponsored by Story Crumbs. I was given two free cookie mixes in exchange for an honest review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I recently stumbled across an Etsy shop called Story Crumbs, which sells cookie mixes inspired by fictional characters. Not only do they have mixes inspired by classic lit like LITTLE WOMEN and ALICE IN WONDERLAND, but they also make mixes for newer books like CINDER and THE CRUEL PRINCE. You can even design and name your own custom mix, perfect for authors wanting to promote an upcoming book!

I emailed the owner, Amanda, and asked if she would be willing to do a co-promotion, and she said yes! A couple short weeks later, I was in my kitchen making two of her classic lit cookie mixes: the Alice and the Jo. I chose these because I have menus inspired by ALICE IN WONDERLAND and LITTLE WOMEN in my most recent cookbook, A LITERARY PICNIC. I also wanted to try these two mixes because the flavors are very different from each other, offering a good example of the range of flavors available.

Now let’s review some cookies! 😀

Mrs. Barry’s Humble Pie from EAT LIKE A HEROINE

Posted August 22, 2024 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book Events and Tours, Book of the Month Recipes, Uncategorized / 0 Comments

Two years ago, I was lucky enough to have one of my cookbooks mentioned on the EAT LIKE A HEROINE podcast, hosted by Lorilee Craker and Jenny Williams. I love that there’s a whole podcast out there devoted to the role of food in fiction! When I discovered they were publishing a book named for their podcast, I contacted them right away to see if I could write a review.

EAT LIKE A HEROINE is part literary analysis, part cookbook. Each chapter focuses on a different way food is used in fiction (such as to provide hospitality or comfort) and ends with a recipe that fits the theme of the chapter. I especially enjoyed the chapter about fictional picnics, since that is the theme of my latest cookbook, A LITERARY PICNIC. I also love that the book is not just designed to be read but used; it has interactive sections like journal pages, activity ideas, and personal challenges to help you get the most out of the book.

But, of course, this is a recipe blog, so you probably eager to hear about the recipes! I had such a hard time choosing which one to make. Louisa May Alcott’s Apple Slump sounded so yummy, and the Jane Austen-era Marizpan Hedgehog sounded adorable! But I finally decided on Mrs. Barry’s Humble Pie inspired by ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. I chose it partially because I have an ANNE OF GREEN GABLES menu in my picnic cookbook, but also because I looove chocolate pies. I’ve made French silk pie in the past, which is very similar to this pie recipe, so I was curious to see which I liked better.

This pie was easy to throw together and super delicious: rich, chocolatey, and unbelievably light. In fact, I think it will become my new go-to chocolate pie, since it’s just as delicious as the French silk recipe I use, but easier and faster to make. I’ve included the recipe below so you can give it a try yourself. With the coziness of fall just around the corner, now is the perfect time to read about fictional food and bring some of it to life.

EAT LIKE A HEROINE is out now and available through Amazon, Commonplace Books, and End Game Press.

P.S. All the artwork in the book is done by co-author Jenny Williams, and her style fits the tone of the book so well: light-hearted, fun, cozy, and thoughtful. It’s just too good not to mention. Now let’s make some pie!

Happy Book Birthday to My New Book . . . Time for a Sneak Peek!

Posted July 1, 2024 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book Events and Tours, Uncategorized / 0 Comments

Today is publication day for my new cookbook, A LITERARY PICNIC: EXTENDED EDITION! You can now find hardcover version on Amazon. How about a sneak peek of what’s inside? Below you’ll find pics from the Anne of Green Gables menu, along with descriptions of the recipes. This was the very first menu I added to the extended edition, and I LOVE how it turned out. Let’s take a look!

THE ANNE OF GREEN GABLES MENU

DELIGHTFUL APPLESAUCE. Named in honor of the White Way of Delight, an avenue of blossoming apple trees Anne sees when she first arrives in Avonlea, this homemade applesauce is flavored with a touch of orange and ginger.

CURRIED CARROT & CHICKEN SANDWICHES. These homemade buttermilk biscuit sandwiches are filled with curried carrot chicken salad—very similar to coronation chicken, a popular dish in Anne’s day.

FRENCH CARROT SALAD. Called “carottes râpées” in it’s native French, this carrot salad is simple yet elegant. After a taste of this, even Anne Shirley might learn to love carrots!

MARILLA’S PLUM PUFFS. This is one of my favorite desserts in the whole book, and it’s super easy. Sweet, tart, and super buttery!

RASPBERRY CORDIAL ITALIAN SODA. Homemade raspberry cordial mixed with club soda and half-and-half to create an elevated sipping experience.

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A LITERARY PICNIC is now available to order on Amazon!

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June Cookbook Update: Publication Date Announcement!

Posted June 27, 2024 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book Events and Tours, Uncategorized / 0 Comments

Hi, everybody! I’m back with another update on the publication process for my upcoming cookbook, A LITERARY PICNIC: EXTENDED EDITION. I decided to wait to share this until the publication date was finalized. Now it has been, and it’s VERY SOON! Here are all the details:

PUBLICATION DATE. After weeks of waiting for proof copies and final approval, my book has finally passed the Amazon KDP review process! It will publish on Monday July 1st. Next week! 🥳🥳🥳 I’m sooo excited, but also I little nervous. I haven’t seen the proof copy of the absolutely final version of the book (I didn’t realize I wasn’t allowed to order any more proofs after the submission process was finalized 😬). However, I only made a couple formatting changes in the final version, so there shouldn’t be an issue. I’m still going to order a copy as soon as the order page goes live so I can see it in person, but I don’t anticipate any problems.
AMAZON EBOOK AND INGRAMSPARK HARDCOVER/EBOOK. I’m currently finishing up the submission process for the Amazon ebook, which should be available the same day as the hardcover (the review process for ebooks is shorter since there are no proof copies involved). Once that’s done, I’ll submit my manuscript to IngramSpark. The Ingram catalogue is how most bookstores and libraries order books. This way, if you’d rather not buy through Amazon, you can ask your local bookstore or library to order through Ingram. Just be aware the price will be different, since IngramSpark requires a wholesale markup. I’ll be sure to share on social media when it’s available through Ingram (you can find me on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter/X, and Facebook).
CARROT APPLE HAND PIE RECIPE FIXED. While editing, I noticed an error in one of the book’s original recipes and fixed it. If you have the original mini ebook of A LITERARY PICNIC, be aware that the Peter Rabbit recipe for Carrot Apple Hand Pies doesn’t tell you to gather and re-roll the scraps of dough to cut out more shapes. Granted, it’s probably obvious when you’re making it that you need to re-roll the dough to get the required number of shapes, but I still fixed it so it won’t cause confusion.
PUBLICATION DAY SNEAK PEEK. On Monday (publication day), I’ll post a sneak peek of one of the menus with a link to the Amazon page where you can order A LITERARY PICNIC.
That’s it for now! I’ll close out with a pic of these super cute book page roses I got from Etsy and used in the centerpiece for the Anne of Green Gables tablescape in the book:

See you Monday!

May Cookbook Update

Posted May 30, 2024 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book Events and Tours, Uncategorized / 0 Comments

Hi, everybody! I’m back with another update on the publication process for my upcoming cookbook, the extended edition of A LITERARY PICNIC. I planned to do an update much sooner than this, but some big variables took extra time to finalize. I decided to wait until I knew for sure what those things would look like, and now I do! So here are all the juicy details:

THE ROAD SO FAR. I’m finished with all the recipe testing and photographs. I typed the recipes directly into my formatted Canva document instead of transcribing it from Word like I did with my last book, so that saved me a LOT of time. Right now I’m just tweaking the design and doing final edits before submitting my final manuscript for print. Check out this cute little strawberry fool I made for my Jane Austen menu:

HOW BIG WILL THE EXTENDED EDITION BE? The final recipe count is 45 recipes. This includes the original 25 recipes, plus 20 brand new ones. One of the reasons I took so long to share an update was because I was still in talks with a publishing company about licensing permissions. Most of the books I make menus for are in the public domain, but this time there was a copyrighted book I wanted to include. The publisher said they’d get back to me with a quote, but it’s been several weeks with no word. As much as I wanted to include a menu for that book, I decided that delaying my publication date past summer would hurt book sales too much. So at this point, even if they get back to me with a quote, I still plan to move forward without adding that additional menu. Maybe I can include it in my next book!
PRINT FORMAT NEWS. In addition to distributing my book through IngramSpark, I will now also be distributing through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing program. This will allow me to price my book more competitively for individual sale on Amazon while still making it available for purchase through the Ingram catalogue for bookstores, libraries, and schools. A LITERARY PICNIC will be available on Amazon first, then 2-3 weeks later on Ingram (it will take me some time to reformat the document to Ingram’s specifications and get it approved).
MY PIE-IN-THE-SKY SUMMER DEADLINE. It looks like I’ll achieve my crazy dream of not just a summer publication date, but possibly an EARLY summer pub date! Those copyright permissions falling through was a blessing in disguise, because it significantly cut my writing time. My goal is to have my final edits finished by Monday next week. After that, it’s just depends on how long it takes Amazon to approve the manuscript and if I need to make any changes after seeing the proof copy. If the approval process is slow, my publication date will likely be July 1st. However, if things move fast, I can publish as early as June 17th. I’ll let you know the final date ASAP!
UPDATED COVER. I toyed with the idea of hiring a cover artist, but it’s just not in my budget at the moment. Plus, I genuinely love my original cover. I’m keeping the cover design mostly the same (because I adore it), but I want the cover for the extended edition to be noticeably different from the original. Hopefully, this will cut down on confusion between the two editions. I inverted the border and center colors from the original cover, which I was nervous about at first. However, I think I might actually like it better than the original! Teal is my favorite color, so I like having it front and center. Plus, having a darker color behind the text makes it easier to read. Here’s a rough mockup of the design:
That’s it for now! I’ll close out with a pic of this sweet little rabbit who came to hang out with me while I took pics for my Peter Pan menu!😆

I’ll post another update when
I’ve finalized the publication date,
hopefully with a sneak peek
of one of the new menus.
See you then!

Sakuraco Snack Box: A Review

Posted April 8, 2024 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Uncategorized / 0 Comments

*This post is sponsored by ICHIGO Inc. I was given a free box in exchange for an honest review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.*

A few months ago, I got an email from ICHIGO Inc. asking if I’d like to review one of their Japanese-themed subscription snack boxes. I’ve seen promotions for their boxes before and thought they looked fun, so I decided to give it a try. Plus, Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and a box like this is a great gift!

ICHIGO makes multiple snack boxes, so I got to choose which one I wanted to review. I chose the Sakuraco box, which highlights traditional Japanese snacks and treats with a different theme each month. Most of the items are artisan snacks made by local family-owned businesses. Many don’t ship outside Japan unless it’s part of a subscription box like this, making it a truly special experience. Each box always comes with a tea and a small piece of tableware, such as a tea cup. I’m a HUGE tea fan (I even design my own tea blends), so of course I chose Sakuraco!

The theme for this box is A Night of Sakura, in honor of yozakura, the Japanese tradition of viewing sakura (cherry blossoms) at night. The box is filled with 12 different snack items—some savory, some sweet. Most of them are sakura-flavored, which can be described as delicately floral and sweet. Some of the snacks are even made with real sakura blossoms or leaves.

But I’m sure you’re eager to hear about all the fun treats you can find in the box. Let’s get started!

February Cookbook Update

Posted February 29, 2024 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book Events and Tours, Uncategorized / 2 Comments

Hi, everybody! Just wanted to give you an update on how things are progressing with the extended edition of A LITERARY PICNIC:

THE ROAD SO FAR. I’ve already finalized several recipes, including some that I thought would be really difficult. I’m loving my progress so far! Right now I’m mostly working on bread recipes, since I can freeze them for use in picnic pictures when the weather warms up. Check out these beautiful potato rolls I made:

HOW BIG WILL THE EXTENDED EDITION BE? Hopefully 50 recipes (double what it is right now). However, I may have to cut some if I can’t get copyright permissions. Four of the books I’m making new menus for are public domain, but I’m considering two different copyrighted books for the final menu. I’ve contacted the publishers, but it can take months to hear back (and I don’t know how much the permissions will cost). Fingers crossed that I hear back in time and can afford the fee!
PRINT FORMAT NEWS. I got some good news regarding printing! As you may recall, my book will be printed/distributed by IngramSpark. I thought for sure I’d have to reformat my whole book for print, since I doubted they offered an 8.5″x11″ option. As it turns out, they do! I’m so relieved! I expected to spend at least a few weeks reformatting, but now I won’t have to do that at all. 🥳
MY PIE-IN-THE-SKY SUMMER DEADLINE. Does the time I’ll save on formatting mean I’ll achieve my dream of a summer publication date? Maybe, but it’s still very uncertain. Some of you might remember that I made a menu for ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL last year because I was having health issues and craved comfort TV. My symptoms have improved but could show up again soon. My doctor has me on some new medication that may help, but I’ll need to take it easy and go in for extra appointments to monitor the situation. Since I don’t want to push myself, I’m still treating a summer publication date as possible but not exactly probable.
NEW COVER? I totally love the book’s original cover, but I’m toying with idea of having one professionally done. This will heavily depend on the cost and how long it would take. Hopefully I’ll have an update on that next month. If you know any cover artists who you think would be a good fit, share their name and website/socials in the comments!
Also check out this funny little quiche I made with leftovers from a pastry recipe!😆

I’ll post another update in a month or two,
hopefully with more pics to share! See you then!

Sneak Peek of my upcoming cookbook, A LITERARY PICNIC

Posted February 23, 2023 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Uncategorized / 0 Comments

Time for a sneak peek of my upcoming cookbook, A LITERARY PICNIC! Below you’ll find pics from the Fairy Tale menu, along with descriptions of the recipes. This was one of my favorite menus to photograph. Do you spy the sweet little fairy table in the photo above? ^.^

THE FAIRY TALE MENU

FAIRY TOAST. Traditionally prepared as buttered sandwich bread topped with sprinkles, this version features toasted brioche and mascarpone blended with three flavors of homemade jam.

RAPUNZEL’S BRAIDED PASTRIES. These sausage & thyme pastries are painted with an edible egg wash “R” for Rapunzel, but you can also use the first letter of the guest of honor at your party.

RED RIDING HOOD’S FRUIT SALAD. A medley of red fruit (along with some blueberries and plums for contrast), dressed with a pomegranate and lime vinaigrette.

ENCHANTED SWAN COOKIES. Dutch butter cookies piped to look like swans!

POISON APPLE PUNCH. A blend of sparkling cider, ginger ale, pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, and blood orange bitters.

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I’ll share some of the book’s bonus content in the weeks to come, so stay tuned!

A closeup of the fairy table. Because I just love it so much! ^.^

Say Hello to the Little Miss!

Posted February 6, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Uncategorized / 4 Comments

Howdy, folks! I’m utterly delighted to introduce our household’s newest member: the Little Miss! We welcomed her to the world at 7:58 am on 1/3/19. She measured 21 inches and 7 lbs 11 oz, and we’re already smitten with her. Those of you who follow me on social media have probably seen me post about her a lot over the past month, but now I’m finally ready to sit down and share her birth story here on the blog!

Achoo! Sick Day Food

Posted November 29, 2018 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Teas, Uncategorized / 0 Comments

Here in the Midwest, we’re in the middle of sickness season. The flu is steadily making its rounds through most schools and businesses, and here in my family’s usually cozy hobbit hole, we’re battling a nasty cold. The Mister, as usual, has barely a tickle in his throat, but the Little Mister and myself have been suffering through some pretty crummy days and nights. So crummy, in fact, that even though I realized last weekend that I didn’t have a bonus recipe planned for today, I never really came up with a plan. Energy and brain power have not been on my list of strengths this week. Plus, I figured an extra trek through the snow to the grocery store wouldn’t be the healthiest thing ever.

Long story short: No bonus recipe today, BUT I didn’t want to leave you with nothing. The Mister suggested I make a post featuring some of my favorite sick day food. I loved the idea, so here are my top 5! 😀