Welcome back, my perfect poptarts! Also, what are your favorite flavors? I personally love Brown Sugar Cinnamon and S’mores. So good. Well now I want poptarts. I leave for Germany in a week and I can hardly believe it. I’ll be doing a lot of day trips during the week while my brother is at work and I have some ideas already. I’m nervous, of course, but once I get there, I think I’ll be … Continue reading Links: Gin, Quizzes, & More
I’m taking over Soggy Bottoms this month, because I want to talk about lemons! A freak storm damaged some of the branches on my lemon tree, and I ended up harvesting several bags of lemony goodness. I’ve been desperately seeking lemon recipes ever since. Luckily, I collect vintage cookbooks, so I opened up Victorian Parlors and Tea Parties by Patricia Mitchell, a 36-page booklet with recipes culled in part from the Pittsylvania County Public … Continue reading Soggy Bottoms: Victorian Lemon Bars
Fans of Great British Bake Off, I know what you’re thinking: “I don’t remember this recipe on GBBO.” Well you’d be right. It isn’t from the show and all pretense of law and order for Soggy Bottoms is out the window. 2020 has been a heck of a year and grocery shopping is odd enough as it is without needing very specific baking ingredients. However, I’ve still been baking and cooking, but on a more … Continue reading Soggy Bottoms: Buttered Walnut Cake with Maple Coffee Icing
Hi. My name is Amanda and I’m a cran stan. I am ride or die for cranberry season. My roommate and I made this mixture called “hot cranz” in the winter, where we just cook down cranberries and serve it over ice cream or pound cake. This Covers & Cocktails was a perfect excuse to fully express my love for this weird little red berry. Paired with my cran obsession is Beard Necessities by Penny … Continue reading Covers & Cocktails: Smartypants
Hi. My name’s Amanda and I can’t stop talking about The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken. If you missed it, I loved this damn book. It’s more fantasy than romance, but still has Aiken’s affinity for writing all types of strong, amazing women. Even the “bad” ones were admirable in their one ways and I wanted to raise a glass to these characters. The cover is gorgeous, with red tones and little sparks of fire. … Continue reading Covers & Cocktails: Storming the Castle
Welcome back to Covers & Cocktails! I’m so excited for this particular drink because it combines several of my favorite summer things: drinking, watermelon, and rosé. Though I don’t really limit my alcohol consumption to what’s “seasonal” (I’ll drink a porter in the middle of August), there’s something I enjoy about light wines, fizzy bubbles, and juicy fruits all mixed together in one drink. It’s great for warmer weather where you just want to sit … Continue reading Covers & Cocktails: The Duchess
Welcome back to Wednesday Links! This is where we share awesome things we’ve seen on the internet. It’s also a nice reminder to take a moment during your day for yourself. But hey, I’m not your dad. You can spend your afternoon break however you like. Just make good choices, as I say to my brother. WHO IS IN THAILAND RIGHT NOW LIVING HIS BEST LIFE. (not that I’m bitter.) … Shark Week is cool … Continue reading Links: Dragons, Retirement Plans, & More
When I saw Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors announced, I knew I had to do a cocktail post for it. I’ve done one for a previous Sonali Dev release and it was incredibly yummy. Dev’s books always seem to have delicious food elements, which serve as wonderful inspiration. The cover is beautiful with its rich red and yellow color combo, and I wanted to mirror that in the drink’s look. Pomegranate juice adds a lovely … Continue reading Covers & Cocktails: Fools in Love
Are you all ready for another cocktail? I am, especially when honey badgers are involved. This cocktail is inspired by In a Badger Way and sponsored by Kensington! Sarah is a fan of the series and honestly, I’m also rather charmed by the MacKilligan honey badger shifter sisters. Though this is still a romance, the Honey Badger series has more of a focus on the three sisters: Charlie, Max, and Stevie. That sisterly bond carries the … Continue reading Covers & Cocktails: DGAF
Bitchery, I’m turning thirty next week and I definitely need a cocktail. Not just any cocktail, but something celebratory, with whipped cream and everything. Buckle up everyone because we’re making a boozy, chocolatey milkshake! Meet Cute by Helena Hunting is the inspiration for this alcoholic milkshake. The cover is adorable with bright colors and—well, look at that—a milkshake. And yes, the characters do partake in the book. Drinking a milkshake is fun. I’ve never had … Continue reading Covers & Cocktails: Fangirl
This month, we have a very special sponsored Covers and Cocktails! I had so much fun working on these drinks and since there are seven books (seven!) to discuss, I’m just going to get into without much preamble. My inspiration has come from the The Kristen Proby Crossover Collection! Proby has teamed up with 1001 Dark Nights and six other romance authors to create a collection of romances that cross over with her Big Sky … Continue reading Covers & Cocktails: The Kristen Proby Mini-Cocktail Collection
