December is here, and with it all the trappings of Christmas. Since I moved in early November and didn’t get a chance to decorate for Halloween, I was determined not to let that happen for Christmas. On the first night of Advent, I set the lights low, turned on a CD of Christmas hymns, and finished almost all my decorating in one night (I saved the tree for the next day). I was so ready for it, and it was actually really relaxing. I even found that it has been a lot easier to remember the “reason for the season,” I guess because it gave me a chance to think about why I was decorating. I know I won’t always get that, so I was grateful to have it this year.
‘Tis the Season for a New Book of the Month!
Happy December, folks! How was your Thanksgiving? I was home sick from mine 🙁 , but I was able to send the Mister with a batch of homemade applesauce I froze a few weeks beforehand. Yay!
In much more pleasant news, I FINISHED MY NOVEL FOR NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH! Not gonna lie, I spent almost 20 minutes last night dancing around and singing. I’m extra excited because this was my very first time doing NaNo. It was tough, but I made it!!! I definitely want to try it again next year. I already have an idea for the book I want to write! 😀
Of course, since we’ve come to the end of our November menu, we also have a new tea blend available through Adagio Teas. In honor of our Divergent menu, I created Tori’s Peppermint Tea. It’s the perfect blend of peppermint, spearmint, and lemongrass with a lemon balm and marigold inclusion: refreshing and full-flavored without the menthol sensation being too overpowering. I love it both hot and iced. In fact, it’s been one of my few comforts while I’ve been sick (nothing like mint tea with a touch of honey to soothe a sore throat). Totally my new favorite green tea!
What have we got planned for our December Book of the Month? Here’s a hint:
Dauntless Chocolate Cake: Brownie Layer Cake with Chocolate Fudge Filling and Cinnamon Bourbon Buttercream
If you’ve read Divergent, you know there is one dish that stands out above all the others, put on a pedestal by all who taste it: Dauntless Chocolate Cake. It’s so remarkable, Tris’ mother remembers it after years of living in Abnegation.
What kind of cake could merit that level of notoriety? I like to imagine it was a rich, moist dark chocolate cake topped with fluffy cinnamon frosting with just a little bourbon kick (the frosting I use here was originally developed by Eats Well With Others). It’s a good thing they don’t let you taste it until after choosing your faction…otherwise everyone would be in Dauntless!
Beautiful Books Linkup #2: In Which I Talk About My Writing Process for NaNoWriMo!
Earlier this week, I published a post introducing the novel I’m writing for National Novel Writing Month. The post was part of the Beautiful Books linkup by Cait from Paper Fury (you should stop by her blog—it’s awesome!). Today I’m posting my second post in the Beautiful Books linkup, in which I talk about my NaNo writing process!
Abnegation Pea Pod Fries
In Divergent, Tris associates two foods with her home faction of Abnegation: plain peas and chicken breast. When she’s feeling homesick, she finds herself drawn to these foods in the Dauntless lunchroom. She doesn’t realize it at the time, but the reasons Tris feels so torn between Abnegation and Dauntless is because she’s a blend of the two. Today, we’re paying tribute to Tris’ Divergent nature with a side dish fit for both factions: Abnegation Pea Pod Fries, simple roasted peas-in-the-pod with just a little Dauntless cayenne kick, inspired by a recipe by The Smart Cookie Cook. A fitting side dish for our Dauntless Burger!
Beautiful Books Linkup #1: In Which I Introduce My Novel for National Novel Writing Month!
If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve probably seen me post TONS of tweets about how I’m writing a novel for NaNoWriMo, but I haven’t really said much about WHAT I’m writing. At the start of November, I wanted to link up to Paper Fury’s Beautiful Books NaNo post series, in which I’d share a little bit with you about my novel…but I’m a crazy person who planned to do this in addition to writing 1.6k+ words every day, regular blogging, keeping up with my reading, moving (that’s right, MOVING), balancing my work schedule, AND completing regular household/life responsibilities. Oh yeah, and I got the stomach flu (I’m not saying it was in the plan, but it happened).
So…I’m just now getting around to the first post in the series, even though most people are already starting the second one. Excuse me while I cringe at my own unreliability. Better late than never, I guess? Either way, here we go!
The Dauntless Burger: Whiskey BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger with Fried Egg and Onion Strings (an AWR Original Recipe © )
I love how shocked the other Dauntless faction members are when they realize Tris has never even seen a hamburger before. I can only imagine what it must have been like for her to taste one after a lifetime of plain, flavorless food. Today, we’re recreating Tris’ first meal in her new faction with a monster-sized burger that’s nothing if not epic.
Amity’s Autumn Apple Salad
Welcome to our Divergent menu! The Mister and I just moved from our first apartment to our very first house this weekend, so things are pretty crazy around here (SO MANY BOXES). But even though most of my kitchen is still packed up, I was super excited when it came time to start this menu. I know Divergent is a pretty big departure from our usual classic books, but Tris has such strong mental associations with certain foods (and I loved the book so much) that I thought it’d be a shame not to make a menu for it. So here it is! 🙂
It’s November! To celebrate, we’ve got new custom tea and a Book of the Month hint!
Howdy, folks! The Mister and I just moved into our new house yesterday (!!!), so things are pretty chaotic around here right now. Still, I’m super excited because I’m doing this year’s NaNoWrMo, so a whole month of super intense writing is just beginning for me today. Oh, and my birthday was a few weeks ago! So lots of craziness…but good craziness. 🙂
In spite of my topsy-turvy life, I managed to get my last two Agatha Christie recipes posted: Delicious Death chocolate cake and Little Belgian Truffles! As is our tradition, we’re punctuating the end of our menu with new custom teas from Adagio. I actually made TWO blends this month, since I love Agatha Christie so much and couldn’t choose between the two I designed. The first, called Hallowe’en Party, is inspired by the book of the same name and features spiced apple chai and cinnamon tea. The second tea blend is inspired by Hercule Poirot: Chocolate Mocha Tea for Ze Little Grey Cells! It’s got indulgent chocolate flavor with subtle coffee tones and just a touch of hazelnut—sure to set your brain buzzing!
Now that our Agatha Christie menu is all wrapped up with a tidy little bow, it’s time to share the photo hint for our next menu! Our November book is actually a modern book series rather than a true classic. I decided to make a menu for it after loving the first book in the series. It was such a fun read and featured food so prominently, I knew it would be a great addition to Pop Culture Corner. Without further ado, here’s your hint:
Halloween Bonus Post: Edible Bug Taste Test Part 2!
Last year for Halloween, the Mister and I performed a chocolate covered edible bug taste test and published our findings here on the blog. This year, we decided to up the ante and try some more bugs…this time without the chocolate!