New Year Blog Plans and Survey

Posted January 6, 2021 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Blogging, Holidays / 0 Comments

So long, 2020! Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out! 😉

I’m SO psyched for the new year. After spending the past four years publishing two books, having two babies, and moving to a new house, 2020 was gonna be my “rest year.” Let’s all take a moment to have a hearty laugh over that one. 😂😂😂

New Year Blog Plans

This year, I’m committed to taking it easy. No big project plans (not right now, anyway). However, there is ONE thing I really want to make happen: the return of full menus on the blog! If you’re new around here, you may not know that I used to make a recipe every week (each Book of the Month got a 4-course meal). With all the big projects and life changes that came my way, I decided two years ago to reduce my blogging schedule to 1 recipe/month.

It was definitely the best decision at the time, but now it’s starting to feel limiting. Plus, doing a 4-month recipe series on fiction-inspired cookbooks showed me that I could definitely pull off 2 recipes/month without feeling too stressed.

So here’s my plan: a new recipe every 2 weeks, a new book every 2 months. Each book finishes with a 4-course meal just like it used to, but in 2 months instead of 1. This will give me a chance to return to the format I love while still taking it easy.

Survey

Although I have no huge project plans, I’ve got some ideas for smaller changes/additions I’d like to make to the blog. Some are ideas for non-recipe posts that might pop up intermittently when I have time; others are user tools I’d like to add, provided you guys think you’ll find them valuable. I’d love to get your input on the stuff I’m considering, so I’ve shared a survey below. Thank you in advance to everyone who chooses to participate. I love hearing your feedback!

Jo’s Gingerbread Nuts: Tiny Gingerbread Cookies from The Little Women Cookbook

Posted December 10, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book Events and Tours, Book of the Month Recipes, Holidays / 1 Comment

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Can you believe Christmas Eve is just TWO WEEKS away? After such a chaotic year, I’m so ready for the cozy familiarity of the Christmas season. For today’s recipe—the final post in my fiction-themed cookbook recipe series—I wanted to make something festive, fun, and chock-full of holiday spices. I found just what I wanted in the delightful LITTLE WOMEN COOKBOOK by Jenne Bergstrom and Miko Osada, co-creators of the blog 36 Eggs.

Their cookbook is a thoughtful, creative compilation of recipes inspired by the Louisa May Alcott classic. Many of the recipes are as close to period-authentic as possible, a detail I appreciated. Today we’re making their recipe for tiny, crunchy gingerbread cookies called “gingerbread nuts!” In LITTLE WOMEN, Jo shares some with some children who are getting antsy on a long train ride to New York. These cookies are super easy and a bit unique too!

Baloo’s Fruit and Nut Granola Bars from The Jungle Book

Posted December 3, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

It may seem backward to kick off December with a book set in the hot Indian jungle, but let’s face it, this has been a backward year. For some reason, I just REALLY wanted to read The Jungle Book right now. And I figured, why not just read what I want, even if it’s not seasonal? After all, this is 2020, the year from the chaos dimension. Plus, I’ve already done recipes for A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Little Women, and The Polar Express. I’m kinda running low on wintery classic books (If you have any requests in that area, feel free to send them my way!).

Anyway, I’m glad I followed my whim, because The Jungle Book is pretty darn delightful. It’s got all the fun of jungle animals having crazy adventures, but it doesn’t shy away from the harsh reality of life in the wild either. There’s danger, violence, and even death, but that’s all somehow softened by the fact that we’re experiencing it through talking animals. In many ways, Kipling’s writing style reminds me of Jack London, because in every sentence you can feel the author’s awe at the beauty and power of nature.

Today’s recipe is inspired by Baloo who, to quote Kipling, “can come and go where he pleases because he eats only nuts and roots and honey.” I wanted SO MUCH to make a traveling snack for Baloo jam packed with all his favorite foods. Something easy my kids could make and eat with me (The Jungle Book is a children’s story, after all!). I also wanted it to be healthy (because, again, children), and heavily feature Indian nuts and fruits as a nod to the story’s setting.

Miruvor: A LOTR-Inspired Recipe from The Geeky Bartender Cookbook

Posted November 12, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

Hi, everybody! To celebrate the recent release of my second book, A LITERARY HOLIDAY COOKBOOK, I’ve been doing a monthly post series devoted to recipes from fiction-inspired cookbooks. Today’s recipe is from THE GEEKY BARTENDER COOKBOOK by Cassandra Reeder, creator of The Geeky Chef blog. When I first started blogging, The Geeky Chef was one of my greatest inspirations when choosing a focus for my blog, so making a recipe from Cassandra’s book is great honor for me! Let’s get started!

Mrs. Markham’s Steak and Ale Pies with Mushroom and Caramelized Onion

Posted November 5, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

Say hello to Anne Bronte’s newest fan: me! * waves excitedly * Admittedly, I’m a bit late to the party (about 172 years too late). I have a habit of putting off hefty books if my library doesn’t have the audiobook, since my kids try to climb on me whenever I sit down. Still, I managed to eke out little parcels of time over the past month to read an ebook of Anne Bronte’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and I’m SO glad I did! I like it even better than Wuthering Heights, my first foray into the Bronte books. The main characters are much more likeable, and I love the role books play in the story. For example:

Want to declare your undying fidelity and affection for someone? Give them a book!

Want to express your disdain for your husband’s paramour? Lend her a book and write a note on the flyleaf declaring her unworthy of consideration or respect!

Want to let your friends know your soul is filled with disquiet and anguish? Continually pick up and discard a book (alternatively, stare at the same page for several minutes while absorbing nothing).

Seriously, can we make the Victorian attitude towards books a thing again? Because I’m all for it.

Mana Cookies from The Wizard’s Dessert Cookbook

Posted October 8, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

Hi, folks! As I celebrate the release of my new cookbook, A LITERARY HOLIDAY COOKBOOK, I’m taking the opportunity to share recipes from other fiction food cookbooks as well. Today’s recipe is from THE WIZARD’S DESSERT COOKBOOK by Aurélia Beaupommier. With Halloween just around the corner, Aurélia’s book is just what I needed to get me in the mood for mysterious, magical, fantastical food!

When I first opened THE WIZARD’S DESSERT COOKBOOK, I expected to find references to pop culture staples like Harry Potter and D&D. This book has a lot to offer in that regard, but the recipes I appreciated most came from less obvious sources, like Baba Yaga, Stardust, Nostradamus, and Inkheart. I could see Aurélia did a lot of research to ensure her book was a comprehensive resource, and although there’s plenty of spooky food, she doesn’t confine herself to a Halloween theme. There are lots of magical foods perfect for Christmas, birthdays, or even game nights! I had difficulty choosing between so many delicious recipes…that is, until I came across one inspired by Magic: The Gathering.

WICKED WAYS: Jekyll & Hyde Hard Cider Whiskey Potion & Apple Pie Truffle Antidote

Posted October 1, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

Every autumn, I like to read something spooky to get me in the mood for Halloween. Since I’m currently drafting a series of Edwardian paranormal short stories (like you do), I wanted my seasonal read to be set near the same time period as my stories to keep me in the right mindset. To that end, I found myself turning to an old favorite: “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

Jekyll & Hyde has that spooky Victorian Halloween aesthetic that makes my gothic-literature-loving heart go pitter pat. We’re talking foggy London streets, a troubled scientific genius, murder, mysterious potions, and the dichotomy between good and evil. What’s not to love? Plus it’s a super quick read—easily done in less than a day—which is just what I need in my chaotic mom-with-2-small-kids life.

I actually made a Jekyll & Hyde moon pie a looooong time ago as part of a set of classic monster moon pies, but I’ve always wanted to create a recipe dedicated to JUST this story. Granted, it barely mentions food, but that was ok with me. I already knew I wanted my recipe to riff off the famous potion that turns the good, kind Dr. Jekyll into monstrous Mr. Hyde.
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Kiki’s Hottokeki: Japanese Pancakes from the COOK ANIME Cookbook

Posted September 10, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book Events and Tours / 0 Comments

I’ve been a Studio Ghibli junkie for over a decade. Though every single Ghibli film is richly told and gorgeously animated, Kiki’s Delivery Service is one of my all-time favorites. There’s just something about that plucky little witch striking out on her own that captured my heart and never let it go. My preschooler loves it too, so much so that on the morning of his birthday, we watched the movie while eating pancakes—just like Kiki!

Just a few months ago, I learned that one of my favorite food-in-fiction bloggers, Diana Ault, was coming out with an anime-themed cookbook called COOK ANIME. I asked Diana if I could make a recipe from her book for my fiction-themed cookbook post series, and guess what: she said yes AND she told me it had a recipe for Kiki’s pancakes! 😀

Father Brown’s Death by Chocolate Cupcakes with Mystery Filling

Posted September 3, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes, Holidays / 2 Comments

I’ve loved the BBC show Father Brown for years, but I only recently got a chance to read the collection of short stories on which it’s based. Like many adaptations, the show diverges from the source material in key ways, but I think it stays true in the ways that matter most.

Arguably the biggest difference is that the literary Father Brown is always traveling. I don’t think you ever actually visit his own parish, which means recurring characters like Mrs. McCarthy, Lady Felicia, and Sid exist solely in the show. But don’t worry—Hercule Flambeau, master thief and Father Brown’s nemesis, is still around to stir up trouble! 😉

When one of my readers requested a Father Brown recipe specifically inspired by the stories, I was intrigued to say the least. To fans of the show, the iconic food is Mrs. McCarthy’s strawberry scones. But no Mrs. McCarthy in the stories means no scones. I was going to have to get creative. And I LOVE getting creative! ^.^

The stories mostly only mention food in passing, but one reference stands out. In “The Flying Stars,” Father Brown has to turn out his pockets, and among a few coins and priestly paraphernalia is a stick of chocolate, heavily implying that he always likes to keep some on hand. After reading that, I knew my recipe was going to be a rich, chocolatey dessert.

Hamilton Inspired Shots from BREAK AN EGG: THE BROADWAY COOKBOOK!

Posted August 13, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book Events and Tours / 2 Comments

Today I’m starting something new and exciting: a post series devoted to fiction-inspired cookbooks!

If you’re a regular around here, you know all about my cookbook, A LITERARY TEA PARTY, filled with yummy teatime recipes inspired by classic literature. You might also know that my next book, A LITERARY HOLIDAY COOKBOOK, comes out next month! I’m super excited, though I must admit that figuring out how to promote this book during the pandemic as been complicated, since I can’t do my usual in-person author events.

I know lots of other authors who have the same problem, in addition to dealing with the chaos of layoffs from their 9-5 jobs, unexpected homeschooling, and/or working from home. I wanted to find a way we could all promote each others’ books without the worries of social distancing, monetary costs, or a huge time investment. My solution: a virtual author event series, right here on my blog!