Beth Cato's Blog, page 121

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cat Did What?

This Tuesday, Chicken Soup for the Soul released a new book that contains two of my stories. I’ve submitted more than one story to several of their books, but this is the first time I had more than one accepted!

Two years ago my cat Palom quickly succumbed to cancer. I’m thinking of him all the time right now, even having nightmares about him and his diagnosis. I hope this dark aspect isn’t something I have to cope with every August and September from here on, but it’s something I’m dealing with now, for sure.

Fortunately, my stories in this book are about brighter times with my obnoxious, outgoing cat. I tell the story about how we adopted Palom and Porom during the early days of marriage when we were dirt poor Navy folk. My other story focuses on Palom and how one day he busted through the barrier of autism to have fun with Critter.

I have a whole bunch of copies of this book, so if anyone wants to buy a signed copy, just drop a comment or contact me through other means. It’s also available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

If you have a kitty, go give’em a scritch. Love them while you can.

Bready or Not: Chewy Oatmeal White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

A year ago, I shared my favorite Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Aren’t they pretty?

I decided to do a remix of this same recipe but with white chocolate chips and cranberries. See, I had major writing deadlines coming up and I wanted to have reliable dough stashed away in the freezer so I had emergency cookie dough.

Yes, emergency cookie dough. This is totally a thing.

I prepped the dough by scooping it and freezing it on a cookie sheet and wax paper. Then I bagged it all and stashed it in the deep freeze.

Three months later, I baked it.

I took the dough straight from the freezer. I watched it bake because I really wasn’t sure how long it would need. The dough didn’t expand at all, so halfway through I used the bottom of a glass to smush them flatter. The batches ended up taking thirteen to sixteen minutes.

My reliable cookie dough was indeed reliable. The white chocolate cranberry cookies ended up chewy and amazing, just like the original version.

Print
Bready or Not: Chewy Oatmeal White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat, or use seasoned stoneware.
Melt butter and let cool slightly.
Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the cinnamon, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy. Mix in the flour mixture. Add the oats, white chocolate, and cranberries. Mix until just blended.
Using a tablespoon scoop, place dough balls on pan. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until the edges are slightly brown and the middle is still soft. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Note: Scoop and freeze the dough for months. Bake it straight out of the freezer for 13-16 minutes; dough may need to be flattened halfway through if the cookies don't expand.
OM NOM NOM.
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Sorry about the alien invasion

It’s August 19th, and I’m part of a cooperative effort to blog about the end of the world. I’m doing a different take.

If the world ends in the next few weeks, do know that I’m deeply sorry.

You see, on February 8th, 2009 I blogged about a dream I had. To quote:

I dreamed that I sent out queries for Normal and a male agent responded right away to sign me, and in turn sold the rights quickly. I walked through a massive vault filled to the high ceiling with ARCS of all genres. I searched the shelf for the alphabetical placement of my last name – ah! I found the Cs! It should be right about -

The building shuddered, and a hundred books splatted to the floor like paper meteorites. I ran out of the vault and outside, where I found a full alien attack in progress.

Yeah, that’s my luck.

Yep. That’s how my subconscious works.

As with all prophecies, there are some contingencies involved. Normal brought me together with my agent (who is female), but did not sell. I’ve now had my ARCs for The Clockwork Dagger for a few months and thus far the world hasn’t ended. That I know of. But is the apocalypse caused by my having a book release, period?

There is one book that is coming out today, and even if it doesn’t cause the end of the world, it does describe 26 ways it can happen.

Listing at Goodreads.

What do you get when you take twenty-six amazing writers, randomly assign them a letter of the alphabet and give them complete artistic freedom within a theme?

A is for Apocalypse contains twenty-six apocalyptic stories written by both well-known and up-and-coming writers. Monsters, meteors, floods, war–the causes of the apocalypses in these tales are as varied as the stories themselves.

This volume contains work by Ennis Drake, Beth Cato, Kenneth Schneyer, Damien Angelica Walters, K. L. Young, Marge Simon, Milo James Fowler, Simon Kewin, C.S. MacCath, Steve Bornstein and more!

There’s a release day party over on Facebook today!

This book would make great reading while you’re sitting in a bunker surrounded by canned food. Just sayin’.

And if The Clockwork Dagger doesn’t bring about our demise in the next while, it’d make good bunker-reading, too. Gremlins make everything better.

Sunday Quote says, “ONE MONTH!”

“Dreaming in public is an important part of our job description.”

~William Gibson

Round Up of Awesome

There’s so much going on, let’s bust out the bullet points.

- I kinda took over page 99 of the September issue of RT Book Reviews Magazine. Not only did they review The Clockwork Dagger and give it four stars (YAY!), but they interviewed me and gave me a chance to talk about recipes. As I am wont to do.

- I was interviewed by Marina Lostetter AND shared my recipe for bacon toffee (aka Bacon Crack).

- I have a story in an anthology that comes out next week called A is for Apocalypse, and a reviewer had very nice things to say about my story specifically.

It’s impossible for me to pick a favourite in this collection, but I recommend beginning with Ms. Cato’s entry to anyone who likes skipping around.

- Folks are saying nice things about The Clockwork Dagger, too! Like here, with 5/5 stars! Also, I was delighted (to put it mildly) when two authors I greatly respect (but don’t know as friends, at all) gave the book a shout out, too–here and here.

Cool things are happening!

Bready or Not: Healthy Breakfast Cookies

Cookies for breakfast. Healthy cookies. No refined sugars. Vegan. Also gluten-free, if you use GF oats.

Even better: they taste delicious.

This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes. I customize it based on my mood and what I have on hand. I’ve made this with macadamia nut butter, cashew butter, and almond butter–and combinations thereof. I’ve used apple butter, pumpkin butter, and date butter. Equally awesome with all varieties. I love to use golden raisins, but you could throw anything in. If you don’t have pepitas? Do sunflower seeds or other chopped nuts, or omit.

These cookies are cushions of goodness… like old-fashioned peanut butter cookies, but denser and better. I whip up a batch and freeze 2/3 of it right away. It takes care of my breakfast for weeks.

I often have two cookies first thing in the morning before I exercise, and I might have one more if I’m hungry afterward. They give me the perfect amount of energy to start the day.

Did I mention they are also delicious?

Modified from a recipe on Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Print
Bready or Not: Healthy Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups quick oats (not whole or old-fashioned oats)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup nut butter
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
3/4 cup fruit butter (apple butter, date butter, etc)
1 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc)
1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Prepare cookie sheets with parchment or silpat baking mats, or use seasoned stoneware.
Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl.
Using a tablespoon or tablespoon scoop, drop dollops of dough onto cookie sheet. Note that it won't spread. Use fingers to gently tamp down top and press in stray oats on the sides; it will be a little sticky.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. Cool for several minutes before transitioning them to a rack to finish cooling.
Makes about 28 cookies at tablespoon size. In a sealed container at room temperature, cookies will keep for at least a week. They can also be frozen without any change in taste or texture.
OM NOM NOM!
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Reviews ZOMG

Library Journal just gave The Clockwork Dagger a starred review and declared it Debut of the Month.

“…The action is pretty much nonstop in this debut steampunk fantasy. The attraction between Octavia and Alonzo is sparked right away, but it’s hard for the former to know whom to trust as her talents have made her a pawn between two political powers. Although readers will enjoy the satisfying climax of this adventure, there is plenty to the plot for a sequel from promising novelist Cato.”

This follows up two solid reviews courtesy of RT Book Reviews and Publishers Weekly.

RT Book Reviews: Four stars! “…Steampunk fans should take note of this exciting new novel filled with airships, magic and political intrigue. Not only does Cato create an intriguing universe, but she also develops a one-of-a-kind, kickass heroine who is determined to forge her own path. Adventure, magic, unexpected romance and heart- breaking betrayal all combine for a thrilling tale.”

Publishers Weekly: Octavia is described as possessing “charming Victorian sensibilities, staunch determination, courage, and outspoken independence… Ample action and a delectably delayed romance propel the story toward a riveting finale, marking Cato as an author to watch.”

I’m having a Sally Field moment. They like my book, they really like it!

Sunday Quote should prepare an offering for the full moon

“It is strange and good that I never come to this book with reluctance–often with terror, but I have never since I started writing it wished I were not writing it–not even for a second.”

~John Steinbeck, Journal of a Novel

Cover Flats and Interviews and More

My editor sent me a seriously cool surprise this week… cover flats!

This is my first time seeing what the whole wrap-around cover is like. It doesn’t come across well in the pic, but the cover is in matte finish but the title is glossy so it has a really classy contrast. I already have Michael’s Crafts at work to make a custom frame for my precioooussss. I’ll post pics in a few weeks when it’s all done.

Lots of interviews and other posts elsewhere, too!

I’m at Reb Kreyling’s blog to discuss worldbuilding, revisions, even the music I listened to as I wrote my sequel.

I can also be found at Fanboy Comics. My good friend Jodi Scaife interviewed me about my path to publication, my influences, and the challenges of writing cross-genre.

The first Tuesday of the month is my anointed day at the Holy Taco Church. For August, I shared a recipe for Chili Spice Chocolate Brownies. These amped-up brownies use chocolates infused with chipotle and chili. It adds some pleasant heat, but not in a mouth-scorching way (trust me on this, I’m allergic to the hot stuff).

The Clockwork Dagger is included in a feature at Library Journal on A Multiplicity of Realms: SF/Fantasy Genre Spotlight.

I also have a guest post as part of Josh Vogt’s Write Strong series, all about authors who utilize fitness and good eating as part of their writerly routine. I talk about my summertime hikes in the desert near my house. ‘Cause I’m a little crazy like that.

Probably going crazier over the next few weeks, too.

Bready or Not: Healthier Mint Chocolate Pie

Do not be afraid of this pie. Do not look at the main ingredient and go, “NOT GONNA GO IN MY MOUTH, NOPE NOPE.” I say that, because I was leery about this recipe, too, because I generally do not like tofu.

Yes, tofu. Stay with me.

The thing with tofu is, it takes on whatever flavors it is with. So if you dump a whole bag of chocolate in with the tofu, you don’t taste the soy byproduct. (This is why the adjective in the title is “Healthier” not “Healthy.”) Think of the tofu as scaffolding. It’s there to hold up the tastier stuff.

The original recipe comes from Chocolate Covered Katie, who is a great resource for healthier recipes. I’ve made this pie three times now and have adapted it a great deal from the original:

- tofu blocks around here come in 14 ounce, not 12.3.

- my first try, a chalky taste from the tofu was still evident, though it wasn’t bad. I upped the cocoa to mask that.

- increased the peppermint extract, as I couldn’t taste it at all in the original. I also tried this by using mint Hershey’s Kisses as part of the chocolate chip measurement, which was great.

This all mixed up in my Vitamix in a matter of minutes. Then you dump everything into a premade graham cracker or Oreo crust, top with more chips if you want, then let it set for a few hours.

There’s just something awesome about a smooth, cool pie in the summertime, and if it’s a bit healthier than the average pie… even better!

Print
Bready or Not: Healthier Mint Chocolate Pie

Ingredients

1 ready graham cracker or Oreo pie crust
1 14-ounce package of firm tofu
4 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk of choice
scant 1/8 tsp salt
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
8-10 ounces chocolate chips; also can mix in Hershey's Mint Kisses or other mint chips; reserve some chips for the top, if desired
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup, agave or other sweetener

Instructions

Set aside some of the chocolate if you want it for the top or mixed in. Melt the bulk of the chocolate.
Add all of the other ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse until very smooth.
Scoop it into a prepared pie crust; it will be very thick. Place in fridge for several hours to set.
Pie will keep perfectly well in fridge, covered, for up to a week.
OM NOM NOM!
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