Booze Cakes... Review and a Giveaway

Booze and cake.  What could be better?  (Okay, maybe you could throw some bacon in there....)

Krystina Castella and Terry Lee Stone have joined the two together to create a book of awesomeness named "Booze Cakes: Confections Spiked with Spirits, Wine and Beer".  From "Classic Booze Cakes" like Golden Rum Cake and Honey Spice Beer Cake (I am sooooo going to try that one!) to Tipsy Tiramitsu (three different versions!!) to Cake Shots (Blue Hawaii Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes!), this book is full of desserts that will make you sit up, take notice, and run to your liquor cabinet.

Along with the recipes and mouth-watering photography is a great section on Booze Cakes Basics.   This section had me hooked with the line "Technically, baking is chemistry" - I love a cookbook of any kind that knows it's science. Their basic rule of not baking with any liquor that you wouldn't drink - a rule of thumb for any cooking!  You can also learn in this section about different types of booze, how much booze stays in the baked goods, garnishing and tips for success - everything you need to bake!

Oh, and did I mention the chapter, Homemade Booze?  No?  Ever want to try to make your own coffee liqueur or limoncello?  Now you can.  In the Homemade Treats section, learn how to make candied flowers and marzipan carrots.  Enough baking, boozey fun to keep you busy for quite some time, lol!

Personally, I plan to make every single cake, drink and garnish in this entire book.  Seriously.  If you aren't convinced, a look at the luscious pictures of each cake will do the trick.  Or check out this sample recipe from the book: German Black Forest Cupcakes.

And if you'd like to try it, too, well, Quirk Books has agreed to give one lucky reader a copy of Booze Cakes for their very own!  Here's how to enter:

Gearing up for the 4th!

This year, for the 4th of July we are participating (okay, it will technically be on the 3rd of July, but hey, it's pretty close!) in the annual block party!  In honor of the 4th, block parties and summer, I thought I'd revisit a few favorite summer recipes.

Today we'll have another look at my absolute favorite potato salad:



I've posted this recipe in the past, but it did not have the pictures, so I thought it was time to update.  Summer is almost upon us, and this is the perfect summer side dish for cook outs and pot lucks.  Everyone has their go-to recipe for potato salad, but I urge you to give this one a shot.

We start off with about 2 pounds of small red potatoes.  Give 'em a good scrub, but leave them whole, with the skins on.

Add them and about 1 Tbsp of salt to a large pot of boiling water (this is the time to season the potatoes well with salt!).  Let them boil for about 20 minutes, until a fork (Fork, people! Not a paring knife! Trust me on this one.) can enter the potato and come back out smoothly.  Drain. Let the potatoes cool enough so you can handle them.  When they are, cut them into 1 inch cubes.

While the potatoes are cooling, slice 3 stalks of celery 

and mince 3 shallots (if you don't have shallots, you can use about 1/4 cup or so of finely chopped onion). 

 Throw them all (and the cubed potatoes when you get those done) into a large (non-metallic) bowl, and mix them gently.  You don't want to mash up your potatoes!

To a medium size bowl add: 

 3/4 cup yogurt (I like to use a nice greek style yogurt. Stonyfield Farm makes an excellent organic.)

 1/4 cup mayo (Mr. B. likes Hellman's)

 1/4 cup finely chopped chives:

 1/4 cup rough chopped fresh parsley (if you don' t have fresh, just skip it, dry is just not going to work here.):

 1 tsp prepared grainy or dijon mustard (Excuse me.... but do you have any Grey Poupon?)

(Why yes!  Yes, I do!)

 and  salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk it all together.

Pour the dressing over the potato mix gently fold together.  (At this point you could also throw in some crispy, drained bacon bits, just for fun.  Oh, yes.... baaaaacon.)

Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

If you'd like a little more color to your salad (it really doesn't need it for flavor, in my opinion :O), add in a little red bell pepper or shredded carrot.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe!

A Garden Update!

It's been a while since I've posted pictures of what's going on in the garden, so I thought I'd share a bit of what's growing and getting harvested!

First up (though this is not the best photo, lol!), our garlic has been harvested and is drying out nicely!

The shallots are drying out a bit as well.  Some of these will go back in the ground for another harvest in the fall.

Calendula and chamomile are being harvested daily and dried.

Onions are about ready to come out!

White sage is getting it's grow on.  (And culinary sage as well!)

Peppers and tomatoes are pretty close.  Usually, by this date, we're eating them, but we had cold weather later this year than usual, and they didn't get in as early as they usually do.

And we've got some killer melons coming in!  This is our first year doing them vertically.

And various culinary, magical and medicinal herbs are growing their behinds off.  I didn't get a good shot of my mugwort, but it's HUGE!  Has to be at least 5 foot high already!

(Rue)

How's your garden growing?

PS: Make sure to check out the giveaway going on at A NU(DE) MOTIVATION!

Hey there! Where ya been?

Wow!  It's been a while since I posted, my apologies!  How've you been?  Good?

Since I posted last, quite a few things have happened.  (You might have heard about these if you hang out on Facebook.)

Miss M. got bronchitis.  Poor thing!

My parents came to visit for a few days.

The kids finally had their last day of school.

My oldest graduated!

A few other things happened here or there, but those are the highlights.  This week is the "try to work out a reasonable summer schedule week", so we don't all just sit around in our pajamas playing Wii all summer.  Not that we won't do that part of the time, lol, but you know, here and there we really need to get dressed and take advantage of life!

On July 3rd, my sister will arrive to spend a week with me.  She's never been to visit since we moved to NJ, and I'm looking forward to packing a lot of fun into that week.  Mr. B. will be taking the week off as well, so we can really mix it up!  On the plan right now is going to see a Broadway show (not spilling the beans, because she doesn't know which one yet!) a trip to the beach and hitting one of the NYC museums. Oh, and the annual block party will be in full swing the day she gets here!

And since my son graduated on the Summer Solstice, I didn't get to really celebrate, so I will be having my ritual this weekend.  After Samhain, the summer solstice is my favorite holiday, and I plan on having my feast and ritual even though it won't be on the exact day!

For today, I leave you with a few pics from my son's graduation day:

Here are some shots I took of him after the ceremony.

Where the Hell is Tanner: This IS how I help edition....

Tanner helps with the bathroom renovations......

(For more Where the Hell is Tanner, click here.)

Check it out!

I am off today for my daughter's 5th grade promotion ceremony, then doing some last minute errands before my parents get here from Texas tomorrow!  Might not be on for a few days, so have  a great weekend!

Oh, and CoaPSM got a mention on the awesome blog that is Clan of the Cats today!  If you haven't seen visited them before, make sure to check it out!

Winner of Magick: Wicca, Witchcraft And The Book Of Shadows

Picked by a random online number generator, the winner of the book Magick: Wicca, Witchcraft And The Book of Shadows is...... Zombie Queen!


Please send me your shipping info so I can pass it on to the author.  And if you missed the review of this great book, you can read it here.

If you are looking for something to read....

I just had the pleasure of reading a couple of really great books by the author Rev. David P. Smith.  Before I get too into the details of the book, let me tell you a bit about the author:  Rev. Smith has been a Druid since he was 18 (though he picked up his first New Age book at the age of 8!) and has bachelors degrees in Psychology and Religious Studies.  He's a husband, father, teacher and writer.

And yes, the man can write!  So often I have picked up books on religion (both from the Pagan path and others) that are so dry and dull, it doesn't matter what the information is, it's going to seem dry and dull as well.  Rev. Smith has a wonderful writing voice and a great conversational style.  No matter how much detail he is getting into on a topic, you are easily able to follow what he's talking about (another fault of many religious  books I've read - they want to sound "smart" or esoteric or mystical - and you can barely understand what they are talking about).

In Under an Expanse of Oaks, A Druid's Journey, Rev. Smith discusses the basics of Druidry and working with the Divine in great detail and with such a flair writing in a way that shows his obvious dedication and love for his path while not taking anything away from any other path readers might be on.  (How many Pagan books have you read where you get the "my way is the only write way" feeling?)

Here is a great passage from the book that sort of sums what I am talking about:

"It is truly important to realize that though views differ from order to order, group to group, and even individual to individual, that one set of views is not more correct than the other and that all views should be respected."

That statement should be stamped on every religious building and government headquarters around the world.  I don't think anyone has every put it more clearly and simply than that; we should all respect each other's paths in this world.

While some of the information might be at least somewhat familiar to those who follow the Wiccan or other Celtic based (or Celtic-friendly) traditions,  if you haven't studied the Druid path, you are sure to learn something new.

Besides the basics, the book also contains some great chapters and information of being a Druid in the cyber age, working with the elements and giving back to nature - not to mention a list of books to follow up with, a list of Druidic orders and a bibliography (something I always look for in a book like this!).

I have to say, however, that my favorite part of the book are the little exercises that Rev. Smith has sprinkled throughout the book.  No matter what path you are on, these exercises will help you connect or reconnect with your spiritual path and your inner self.  All the exercises are simple and thought provoking and could be done in a just a few minutes here and there.  Just the type of thing I love!  There are also a ton of great meditation exercises in the book as well.

So would I recommend this book?  A hearty oh yes, I would!  Who should read this book?  Anyone who loves to study different paths or Pagan traditions; anyone interested in reading more about the Druid Path; those who aren't sure what path to follow and would like to delve into more spiritual practices; people who love anything to do with Celtic history and traditions.  Pretty much just anyone!


You can find Rev. David P Smith at his website and on facebook, among other places (check out his link lists!) 

And stay tuned for my review of Rev. Smith's book Honoring the Sacred Earth!

Monday Mutterings

Happy Monday, folks!

On the home front this weekend, we managed to get the house almost completely ready for the company we have coming in this coming weekend (for my son's upcoming graduation from high school!).  Still a few last minute things to do and I need to stock the kitchen, but we are way ahead of where I thought we'd be at this point.

I also managed to be on the loosing end of a fight with a bed frame (ending with a three count pin by the mattress) which jacked my hip up (can you use that kind of slang when referring to an old folks injury?).

In other news, Miss M. got her first pair of glasses!  She picked out the most adorable pair and looks so grown up in them.  She only really needs to wear them for seeing the board at school and things that are far away - but she's wearing them all the time because they are so cute!

On the blog front, things might be a little hit or miss over the next week or two!  We'll have company coming and going until about the 10th of July and have several parties in the mix (graduation and a block party on the 3rd!).  Never a dull moment Casa de la B!  But I'll be checking emails and be on and off facebook - I won't disappear completely!

Hope you are all off to a great start to your weeks!!

A Modern Witchy Series and a Giveaway!

I don't often post twice in one day, but I just had to pass this along!  The biting edge, a blog that covers "urban fantasy, vampires, pop culture, and all things Joss Whedon" has posted an interview with Juliet Blackwell, author of the Lily Ivory Witchcraft Mystery series - and they are giving away two of the books in the series!


I've never heard of this series before, but after reading the interview, I so very much want to! Blackwell seems to have really done her homework on the subject and has even incorporated a bit of magic into her own life. 


Go and read the interview, it's really interesting!  And enter to win the books by leaving a comment or a question to their post.  Or, you know.... read the interview then skip entering.... cause that would give me better odds.....




Oh, and P.S., just a hint: check out the names of the authors of the blog.  One of them is Jeanne Stein, author of the amazing Anna Strong Series (which I love, love, LOVE!) and the other is Mario Acevedo, who writes the Felix Gomez series. Which, if you haven't read, you need to do so right now.)

Healing Mother Earth! June 12!

The above video was created by Teckla

(Our regularly scheduled "Horde" invasion has been postponed for this important announcement.)



I've been talking about this event, that I heard about via Divining Women, and will be participating at the beach in my neighborhood with my coven sisters.

You don't have to have a beach or a river to participate, though!  Meditate over a bowl of water.  Sit in the tub!  However you do it, please participate on June 12 to help aim our energies at the Gulf and all the animals and people that are affected by what is happening there.


Blade and Cauldron has created a chant that you might find handy to use:

 




If you participate, grab some pictures or a video camera! I'll post anything you have to share next week!!

Book Review and Giveaway: Magick: Wicca, Witchcraft, And The Book of Shadows

Magick: Wicca, Witchcraft, And The Book of Shadows by Gregory Branson-Trent is one of the most information-filled books I've ever read.  Starting out with an introduction that discusses what Wicca  and witchcraft are (and what they are not) the book moves on to discuss more subjects than you can shake a stick at, including much detail on what magick is, a discussion on traditional Wicca and the different traditions included under that umbrella. There is a Frequently Asked Questions section, information on herbs, candles, aromatherapy, animal guides - basically if it's connected to Wicca or witchcraft, it's touched upon in this book!

I have to say that I have never, in all my reading (and if you know me, you know how big a book freak I am!) come across a Pagan-themed book that has such a detailed list of correspondences than this book.  Lists included in this book, among others, include correspondences listed by need, for stones and herbs.  There are also lists of tools, a glossary of magickal terms, a glossary of medical terms for using with herbs, even a list of tarot card meanings! Seriously this is a great reference book.

As with all books, there are a few flaws, though they are barely worth mentioning.  The book is, though it discusses witchcraft in general, very Wicca-centric.  As a witch who is not a Wiccan, there are a few things  in the book that I would have to say that I don't agree with, such as the assumption that all witches, like Wiccans, live by the rule of "harm none".  Though many (maybe even the majority) of witches do abide by the rede, not all do.  There are plenty of witches out there that would say that they try not to harm anyone up until the point where it becomes about protecting you and yours (for example, if someone comes into my house in the middle of the night and threatened my family, you can bet that I will be all about harming somebody, no questions asked).  This is, of course, one of those areas that is a little murky as far as self-defense and such, and always gets a conversation going.

Other examples of the Wicca-yness of the book: only Wiccan traditions are discussed at length (though some other forms of Paganism are included in the glossary, such as "eclectic,  terms such as "hedgewitch" and "kitchenwitch" are not).  The only deities discussed at length are those from the Celtic pantheon.  Honestly, though, for the amount of information included in this book, these issues are very easy to overlook.

Who should own this book?  This book would be a great resource for someone who is starting off on their path and looking for something that covers a lot of information.  It's a great jumping off point for discovering things like tarot or reiki for a "newbie" Pagan.   This would also make a great text book for a tween or teen who is exploring the path (or a parent who needs information to pass on to schools about what Wicca/witchcraft is not!)  And of course, for  someone like me, who loves a good reference book full of information!

And now, thanks to Gregory Branson-Trent, one lucky winner will be getting their own copy of this great book!  Here's how to enter: